Posted by Alumni from The Atlantic
May 3, 2026
One of the less-discussed traditions of American presidents is how they hide the reality that they need protection. Following the assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, however, Donald Trump and his allies have doubled down on their assertion that the ballroom he wants to build is essential to presidential safety. The justifications have been strikingly granular: The new building would have 'bullet proof windows and glass,' 'heavy steel,' and a 'drone proof roof,' as Justice Department lawyers wrote in a court filing Monday night that echoed Trump's recent posts on Truth Social. Congressional Republicans have shared that the building will have seven-inch-thick windows, amid their push to get taxpayers to spend $400 million on a project that Trump once billed as a gift from patriotic donors. As the Trump administration works to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to stop the ballroom's construction, the structure sounds more and more like a fortress. It's hard to keep... learn more