January 20, 2026, 2:55 p.mJanuary 20, 2026, 2:55 p.m
In 1941, then US President Franklin D. Roosevelt was asked to have a bunker built under the White House. The reason for this was the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor. This writes “CNN”.
The White House in Washington and the demolished East Wing.Image: keystone
As historian Bill Seale, historian of the White House Historical Association, says, the construction of the bomb shelter was not publicly announced, only the construction of the east wing of the White House.
Over 80 years later, the same part of the White House is being rebuilt or rebuilt. The east wing is to be removed and the ballroom of the incumbent US President Donald Trump is to be created.
The bunker underneath is also said to have been demolished.
What was the bunker used for?
Little is publicly known about the construction of the bunker. According to CNN, the bunker is also said to have housed a presidential emergency center. Secret missions are also said to have been planned there, such as former US President Joe Biden’s trip to Ukraine.
The White House before and after the demolition of the east wing and thus the underground bunker.
CNN suspects that the space will now be redesigned and equipped with the latest technologies.
During a meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, White House Director of Management and Administration Joshua Fisher said that the entire ballroom project would improve “mission-critical functionality.” “Necessary safety improvements will be made” during the renovation and new construction so that the infrastructure is tailored to future mission requirements.
The White House did not respond to a request from CNN for more information regarding the construction of the new bunker or comment. (nib)