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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Mike Catalini

Beneath Trump's ballroom legal case: A brief history of the White House bunker

Trump - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Secrecy surrounding White House security makes details hard to come by, but President Donald Trump's court fight over his $400 million ballroom casts some light on an underground bunker at the site that has had a role in history.

The bunker emerged in the Trump administration's court fight against the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is challenging the 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom project. A federal appeals court last week permitted the president to continue with construction of the project at the site of the former East Wing, which was demolished last fall.

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