White House ballroom has been described as a facility for entertaining guests; now it sounds like a military installation, and some call it a "bunker." What gives?

The most recent renderings of White House ballroom (NY Times)

A few days ago, Donald Trump's ballroom was described as a much-needed facility to entertain White House guests. Now it has evolved into a "shed" for some sort of military installation under the White House -- a "bunker" some are calling it. That is quite a transformation in less than one week's time. How did that happen? It's a confusing turn of events, and The UK Independent provides one of the best explanations we've seen under the headline "Trump reveals military is building a 'big' bunker under his planned White House ballroom." A subhead reads: "Bunker construction appears to be related to the secure shelter and communications underneath the former East Wing." Ariana Baio reports:

President Donald Trump has confirmed that the military was involved in the construction of a “big complex” underneath his planned White House ballroom – and hinted at it being a new bunker.

While speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, the president provided updates on his $400-million ballroom and showed off renderings of the 90,000-square-foot structure, which replaced the original East Wing.

“The military is building a big complex under the ballroom, which has come out recently because of a stupid lawsuit that was filed,” Trump said, referring to a complaint that led U.S. Judge Richard Leon to grant an injunction pausing construction of the ballroom.

How did a ballroom that originally was designed to host galas, formal dances, and the like suddenly become what Trump now describes as a "shed" with military purposes in mind? Trump's answers to that question, so far, hardly have been models of clarity, as Baio writes:

Although Trump did not fully explain the purpose of the underground bunker, he hinted it was for security reasons.

“The ballroom essentially becomes a shed for what’s being built [underneath by] the military, including from drones, including from any other thing,” Trump said, adding that the windows will be “bulletproof.”

Any time Trump opens his mouth, Americans have become used to bracing themselves for the truth to take a beating. When he becomes evasive, that often is a signal of him making stuff up on the spot. And that can lead to assertions that are downright goofy, such as "a dance hall needs bulletproof windows."  What kind of dances is the White House planning to host? If you get an invitation, you might want to send your regrets.

The Telegraph is making a noble effort to report a story built on a shaky White House narrative, so it is  difficult to fill all the potholes Trump & Co. have placed  along the way. You can almost feel Baio struggle to piece things together as she writes:

Trump’s ballroom is one of several construction projects he’s undertaken to update the White House to align with his aesthetic.

The president has insisted the massive ballroom is necessary to provide entertaining space for state dinners, banquets and even potentially the presidential inauguration. As of now, the White House uses tents set up on the lawn to extend space during large events.

A weekend report from the New York Times looked at the proposed facility and some of its architectural features. Critics blasted the proposal, saying its stairs lead to nowhere and its columns will block views from inside the ballroom.

Now we have this question: Are those design flaws present because the facility always has been planned as a military installation, not a ballroom? This much is clear: The Times article hit a raw nerve with the administration -- and in Trump World, that often is a sign subterfuge is underway. Baio writes:

[The Times] report left press secretary Karoline Leavitt fuming.

"President Trump and his lead architect have built world-class buildings around the world, and they are ensuring the People’s House finally has a beautiful ballroom that’s been needed for decades — at no expense to the taxpayer," she said.

Trump’s decision to tear down the historic East Wing to make room for his privately funded ballroom has drawn scrutiny. Some argue the president should have received permission from the appropriate commissions before making the decision. [A federal judge already has found he should have sought authorization from Congress.]

Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt had installed a bunker underneath the East Wing, called the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, to serve as a secure shelter and communications center for the president in the event of an emergency. 

White House stories continue to change, suggesting something is going on that has not been fully explained to the American people. We suspect that is by design. Baio writes:

White House officials previously hinted the president might have ordered renovations of the Presidential Emergency Operations Center. At a National Capital Planning Commission meeting in January, White House director of management and administration Joshua Fisher said some plans were “top secret” – such as those related to underground construction below Trump’s new ballroom.

Lawyers for the Trump administration also indicated in lawsuit filings that renovations, part of the ballroom construction, were of “national security” importance. They argued that because of those plans, construction should not be paused for any reason.

Plaintiffs in the case, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, referred to that “top secret” construction in a recent filing as a “bunker.”

Additionally, at a cabinet meeting last week, Trump told reporters the military was involved in the White House ballroom construction but that it was supposed to be a secret.

It seems increasingly clear that Trump's "ballroom" project is about more than hosting banquets, state dinners, and such. So what really is going on, what are we not being told? We will strive to shine light on that question in upcoming posts. We hope you will join us.