U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday revealed previously undisclosed details about his new bunker-like White House ballroom, saying it would have a drone base on the roof and a military hospital as part of a six-story subterranean complex. Amid the bang and clang of construction, Trump took a group of reporters on a tour of the project to try to bolster his argument that the U.S. Congress should allocate $1 billion to pay for security enhancements to the building. Democrats and some Republicans are balking at the request, calling it extravagant as Americans grapple with spiraling gasoline prices and other fallout from Trump's war on Iran ahead of November midterm elections.
Trump, a billionaire real estate developer, did not hold back in describing previously unknown details about the project, which at 90,000 square feet stands to dwarf the adjacent White House built in the late 18th century. Trump has argued the ballroom is needed for large events of 1,000 people, far more capacity than the White House entertainment spaces can accommodate. He pressed his case for the ballroom after an apparent assassination attempt at a Washington hotel where he was attending a media gala, arguing that it would be a much more secure venue.
