Last year, the East Wing of the White House, which was the historic home of the first lady and her staff, was demolished. It was created in 1902 during the government of Theodore Roosevelt, and took on a new form in 1942 by the decision of Franklin Roosevelt, who wanted to obtain additional working space during the war and to hide the underground bunker built for the president and his staff.
Currently, construction of a new east wing is underway, which, according to Trump's plan, will house a ballroom. According to CNN, during the demolition of the wing, underground facilities were also demolished.
The station noted that there is not much public information about construction work taking place in what was once a secret bunker.
What plans does Trump have for the White House bunker?
When was the east wing of the White House demolished?
What were the functions of the previous bunker under the White House?
What did the bunker's previous equipment contain?
The bunker under the White House served several functions. Little is known about the new one
A source familiar with the matter maintains that the facility is most likely being designed anew and will be equipped with modern technology to respond to contemporary threats. One of the sources emphasized that the facility's infrastructure was from the 1940s.
During a recent meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission on the construction of the ballroom, Joshua Fisher, director of White House management and administration, said in general terms that The room's design will include “necessary security improvements” and “provide a resilient, adaptive infrastructure tailored to future mission needs.”.
When asked why demolition work had begun on the site without the commission's approval, Fisher replied that it was due to “top secret” work being carried out underground.
— There are a few things about this project that are, frankly, top secret that we're currently working on. (…) – he declared.
The White House did not respond to CNN's request for comment on the matter. However, as the television noted, in a lawsuit filed last week regarding the suspension of the construction of the eastern wing, the White House defended the work, arguing that stopping construction underground would “threaten national security and thus harm the public interest.” The justification for this decision was described in a “secret statement” submitted to the court.
The underground facility built by Roosevelt served as a bomb shelter, but not only that. It housed, among others, The Presidential Emergency Operations Center, which was fortified to withstand a potential nuclear explosion or other major attack.
The bunker contained beds, long-life food, water and other supplies, and a safe means of communicating with the outside world, said a source who was inside the bunker.
CNN noted that it is unlikely that plans for the new facility will be revealed soon. Trump himself suggested that American armed forces were involved in the construction of the ballroom.
