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Donald Trump says $400 million White House ballroom will act as ‘shield’ against drones
President Trump announced that a new $400 million ballroom at the White House will serve as a protective shield against drone threats.
US President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that the new $400 million ballroom being constructed at the White House will serve as a protective “shield” against drone threats and help secure parts of Washington, DC.
Speaking during a surprise press interaction outside the construction site, Trump described the ballroom project as both a ceremonial venue and a major security structure, according to The Mirror US.
Ballroom as protective shield
While discussing the ongoing construction work, Trump said the building was being designed with extensive security measures in mind.
“Everything that you see, the money that's being put up to build the ballroom… it's all needed; the air conditioning, the heating, the drone capacity, the shield,” he said.
Trump explained that the ballroom would act as a protective layer for facilities located underneath the structure.
“You know, the ballroom becomes a shield for everything that you see right here,” he said. “Without that, they couldn't build the lower floors without that shield over the top of it.”
The president further claimed the structure extends six stories underground, though only part of it is currently visible. “They have a lot of things going on downstairs,” Trump said. “This goes down six stories. You see three stories because it's already been built.”
'Drone-proof’ roof?
Trump also detailed what he described as advanced military and anti-drone features planned for the roof of the ballroom.
“The entire roof is developed for military,” he said, adding that personnel stationed there would have a “360-degree vision” of Washington.
According to Trump, the rooftop would include significant drone-defense capability.
“Not only is it drone-proof; if a drone hits it, it bounces off,” he claimed. Trump also said the roof would function as a “drone port” and insisted the project would become “the safest building ever built.”
Secret Service and military involvement
During the appearance, Trump suggested that both the Secret Service and the military could contribute additional enhancements to the site’s security infrastructure.
Pointing to construction diagrams and materials, he praised the durability of the structure, calling it “very powerful concrete.”
“If you know anything about concrete, it's very strong,” Trump said, adding that authorities may still want to “enhance the area.”
“This is a very sacred piece of land. This is the White House, and we want to do things,” he added.
The White House has not publicly released technical details or independent verification related to the security capabilities Trump described during the briefing.
