Washington, Nov 5 — US President Donald Trump has described his new White House ballroom as a fortified venue designed to protect visiting world leaders from drones, bullets and missiles, saying construction was ahead of schedule and under budget.
Standing at the building site on Wednesday as workers prepared to raise the final steel beam, Trump said the structure would be far more than a ceremonial hall.
"It's drone proof, it's missile proof, it's bulletproof," he said, describing a roof, walls and windows that he claimed could withstand attacks.
Trump said the ballroom would be capable of hosting dinners for 2,000 to 2,500 guests while providing what he called extraordinary security for the President and foreign leaders, including those from China and Russia.
"This is the safest place in Washington," he said, asserting that its reinforced roof could even support helicopters.
The US President also described extensive work below ground.
He said the project extended five storeys beneath the building and that the military had used the opportunity to incorporate facilities it had wanted for decades.
"We did everything they wanted," he said, without providing details of the underground arrangements.
Trump added that the roof was being designed as a drone port capable of holding more than 100 drones.
He called the building's steel framework unusually heavy and said the roof was not merely intended to keep out the rain.
He said the ballroom's ceiling would rise more than 50 feet, comparable to a five-storey building.
Outside, tall Corinthian limestone columns were being prepared, while the interior would feature marble flooring and extensive glass.
The existing White House reception space, he said, was too small for many large state events.
He recalled being unable to accommodate a request involving hundreds of guests during a visit by King Charles.
Trump said a glass passage would link the ballroom to the existing White House spaces, with the kitchen below the main floor to preserve views and usable space.
The event marked the installation of the final structural beam, signed by workers and then by the President. More than 500 construction workers were present.
Trump thanked them and said the hardest part of the work had been underground.
He attributed the pace of construction to the contractors and tradespeople on site.
He also said private donors were paying for the project.
"We didn't use taxpayers money to build this ballroom," he said, describing it as a gift to the country.
Although he said the ballroom would eventually open, Trump did not announce a fixed completion date.
In an exchange with reporters, he suggested it could be ready around July of the following year, depending on finishing work.
Construction of the White House began in 1792, and the first US President moved into the building in 1800.
The complex has undergone repeated extensions, restorations and security upgrades as the demands of the Presidency have changed.