The ballroom currently under construction at the White House will be much more than a place to dance.
President Donald Trump outlined the latest plans for the addition and said the addition would be bulletproof, impervious to drones and include a “massive” military complex underneath the structure, per NewsNation.
“We have all bullet-proof glass, we have drone-proof roofs, ceilings,” the president said aboard Air Force One as he held up a series of architectural drawings.
“Unfortunately, we’re living in an age when that’s a good thing,” he added.
The structure — at 90,000 square feet —will also feature a military installation under the ballroom, Trump said.
“The military is building a massive complex under the ballroom,” the president continued. “The ballroom essentially becomes a shed.”
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According to Trump, the project is ahead of schedule, under budget and financed by donors.
It is expected to cost $400 million. The president said he brought up the topic of the ballroom Sunday because he’s busy “fighting wars and other things.”
His remarks come after a New York Times analysis that found problems with the design, including a grand exterior staircase that does not lead to the ballroom.
The Trump administration razed the White House East Wing late last year to make way for a ballroom.?Trump has said it will be a more appropriate setting for official occasions.
Critics have said the project could, in the end, dwarf the White House. However, Trump claims it will respect the original’s design and won’t exceed it in height.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has filed suit and alleged the administration bypassed required reviews and public input for the ballroom.
A federal judge said he will decide by the end of the month whether to issue an injunction halting the project as the lawsuit proceeds.
