US 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-storey 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 US Congress should allocate US$1 billion to pay for security enhancements to the building.
Democrats and some Republicans have balked at the request, calling it extravagant as Americans grapple with spiralling petrol prices and other fallout from Trump’s war on Iran ahead of November midterm elections.
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He repeated that the US$400 million ballroom cost would be covered by donors, including him, and that the work was being done “in strict coordination” with the military and US Secret Service. “This is not going to be paid for by the taxpayer,” Trump said. “This is a gift to the United States of America.”
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.
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Trump has argued the ballroom was needed for large events of 1,000 people, far more capacity than the White House entertainment spaces can accommodate.