The ongoing litigation over the East Wing of the White House revealed some previously unknown details about the project.
President Donald Trump's administration is in court desperately trying to fight to continue building its 90,000 square foot ballroom that will tower over the existing White House structure. Trump bulldozed the East Wing last year during the first government shutdown, making it impossible for Congress to intervene. Lawsuits have continued in the months that followed, and one judge has already paused construction.
In the recent filing, reporter Scott MacFarlane pointed out details that indicate not only what is being built but also raise more questions.
"The upgrades to the East Wing are not cosmetic; instead, they involve the use of missile-resistant steel columns, beams, drone-proof roofing materials and bullet, ballistic and blast-proof glass windows," the court filing says.
The White House already has bulletproof windows, and bomb barrier fortifications were installed in the 1940s during World War II, the White House Historical Association's website explained. Further security glass and protections were put in place after the Sept. 11 attacks.
"They also include installation of bomb shelters, hospital and medical facilities, protective partitioning and top-secret military installations, air conditioning, heating, venting and more," the filing continues.
There was already a "bunker," which was also built five stories under the White House during World War II. Trump was rushed there in 2020 when protests erupted on the streets of Washington D.C., demanding justice for George Floyd, who was killed by a cop in Minneapolis. The bunker was also used by President Joe Biden's office when they planned his covert trip into war-torn Ukraine. Biden quietly flew into Poland, then took a car and a train to Kyiv.
The larger question is why so much additional fortification is necessary for the White House, which already boasts considerable security, including an anti-aircraft system, snipers and other large weapons, an ABC News report after Sept. 11 said. Washington D.C., also has such strict flight rules that no planes can fly over it. Only authorized flights, such as police, military and medivac, have the ability to fly through the District.
No one is allowed to fly around the White House, much less over it. Drones are also banned anywhere near the White House, monuments, Congress and downtown area. There is a 15-mile no-drone radius that includes the White House and most of Washington, D.C., the FAA website explained.
The president also enjoys access to highly specialized care at Walter Reed Hospital during a medical emergency. Such was the case when Trump came down with COVID-19 and had to be rushed to the hospital for supplemental oxygen. A hospital under the White House, however, would allow a president to receive treatment without the public being aware.
The court filing alleges that the East Wing was "dilapidated, infested and structurally unsound."
