EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s $400Million White House 'Ballroom' Is Really a Nuclear-Ready Fortress With Bomb Shelters, Sniper Nests and Drone Port
Trump's 'ballroom' has already hit several snags.
Aug. 14 2026, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
President Trump's $400million White House "ballroom" is shaping up to be much more than an extravagant party space, with bomb shelters, sniper nests, and even a rooftop drone port hidden inside the massive project, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The details were laid bare in a new Supreme Court filing obtained by Radar, as the Trump administration fights to keep construction moving on the sprawling East Wing development.
Inside Trump's White House Fortress
The ballroom is a 'highly integrated military complex,' according to a court filing.
According to the filing, the project is a "highly integrated military complex" extending five stories underground and built using hardened concrete, steel, and rebar.
Officials said the structure includes missile-resistant columns, drone-proof ceilings and roofs, as well as bullet-, ballistic-, and blast-proof glass. But the security measures don't stop there.
Court documents reveal the complex will also contain bomb shelters, a state-of-the-art hospital and medical facilities, top-secret military structures and equipment, military-grade ventilation, and protective partitions separating areas throughout the building.
Sniper Nests At the White House a Possibility
The White House ballroom plans to Include sniper nests and a drone port.
Plans also include sniper nests and a drone port located on top of the structure to help defend the White House and surrounding area from aerial attacks.
The administration argued the ballroom itself is an essential part of the security system because the entire structure was designed as one integrated complex. Officials told the court the materials being used – including specialized concrete, steel and glass – are intended to withstand bombs, rockets and missiles, as well as the effects of a nuclear blast.
The filing describes the project as, in a major way, a "safe room" for the presidency and continuity of government. Trump announced the East Wing project in July 2025, with construction beginning months later.
Who's Footing the $400Million Bill?
The $400million ballroom is being funded through private donations from Trump and prominent corporations and individuals.
The administration said the approximately $400million project is being funded through private donations from Trump and prominent corporations and individuals. They claimed no taxpayer dollars are required for the ballroom portion of the project.
According to the documents, approximately 250 workers have been laboring on the site for 20 hours a day, seven days a week.
Officials said the project is now roughly 65 percent complete, with a concrete-and-steel superstructure stretching five stories underground and rising as high as 70 feet. The current footprint spans nearly 50,000 square feet.
Trump Takes the Fight to the Supreme Court
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The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to keep construction moving on the East Wing project before an injunction is set to take effect on August 21.
The administration claims construction has now moved "beyond the point of return," arguing major changes to the design are no longer feasible without causing severe structural and security problems.
Officials warned that stopping work could leave the unfinished complex unstable and create additional security headaches for the Secret Service.
The revelations come as Trump's administration asks the Supreme Court to block an injunction that could halt portions of the construction.
