Donald Trump has outlined ambitious plans to enhance US security with his ‘Golden Dome’ initiative. However, this raises an intriguing question: what if explosives targeted the White House itself?
Earlier this year, the president unveiled the Golden Dome project, which aims to identify and intercept missiles headed for the US. Trump hopes this system will be ‘fully operational before the end of [his] term’. Despite its potential, the initiative faces challenges, including an estimated cost of $175 billion.
While the Golden Dome is under development, the US still relies on existing security infrastructures. One notable measure is a 761-foot-long tunnel linking the East Wing of the White House basement to the Treasury Building.
A simulation by YouTuber Zack D. Films illustrates how this tunnel could be pivotal if the White House were under aerial attack, showcasing the President’s escape through the tunnel to an underground bunker.
According to a 1988 article in The Washington Post, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served from 1933 to 1945, ordered the tunnel’s construction. Although the government has claimed the tunnel was closed, reports suggest it has been used by notable figures to discreetly exit the White House, such as Tricia Nixon and Edward F. Cox in 1972.
The tunnel’s zig-zag design enhances its resistance to blasts, and it is guarded by the Secret Service. It measures 7 feet in height and 10 feet in width, leading to the secure basement of the Treasury Building.
Also situated underground is a presidential bunker. Robert Darling, a Marine who spent part of 9/11 in this bunker, noted that access is restricted to specific individuals.
Darling mentioned that only those ‘at the top of the food chain’ are permitted entry. In a 2018 conversation with BBC News, Randy Sowell, an archivist at the Truman President Library, emphasized the importance of maintaining a clear chain of command to prevent chaos.
During his time in the bunker, Darling observed that the individuals granted access included the vice president, the vice president’s spouse, the national security adviser, and the defense secretary.