Donald Trump orders House security upgrades amid assassination threats

The Trump administration has accelerated a major fortification project at the White House’s North Portico, strengthening the main entrance after a series of assassination attempts on President Donald Trump. Work includes scaffolding and tarpaulins covering the façade while crews restore exterior columns, and plans for a 90,000‑square‑metre ballroom equipped with advanced protection systems such as drone counter‑measures, sniper positions and an underground bunker. The upgrades follow recent threats from Iranian leaders, a foiled plot targeting a press dinner at the Washington Hilton, and a suspected scheme to attack a UFC event on the South Lawn. Trump warned, “They want to eliminate the leader of the United States – me. I’m on all their lists,” and said he has been lucky so far. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the work is proceeding quickly, noting, “It will go very fast. I think they’ve been up for about ten days, but these people work very fast.” The project is slated for completion by mid‑September.