Presidential Emergency Operations Center

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Presidential Emergency Operations Center
After addressing the nation, President George W. Bush meets with his National Security Council.jpg
After addressing the nation on the evening of September 11, President George W. Bush meets with the National Security Council in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center.
Presidential Emergency Operations Center
BuildingThe White House's East Wing
Location Washington, D.C.
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 38°53′51″N77°02′08″W / 38.89757°N 77.03565°W / 38.89757; -77.03565

The Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC, PEE-ock) was a bunker underneath the site of the East Wing of the White House complex. It served as a secure shelter and communications center for the president of the United States and others in case of emergency.

Contents

History

World War II

The original White House bunker was built during World War II to protect President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the event of an aerial attack on Washington, D.C. It was continually upgraded during its operational life. [1]

The PEOC space has modern communications equipment, including televisions and phones to coordinate with outside government entities. During a breach of White House security, including violations of the Washington, D.C., Air Defense Identification Zone (P-56 airspace), the president and other protectees are relocated to the executive briefing room, next to the PEOC. Day to day, the PEOC is staffed around the clock by joint-service military officers and non-commissioned officers. [2]

September 11 attacks

Vice President Dick Cheney, First Lady Laura Bush, and Second Lady Lynne Cheney in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center following the September 11 attacks Vice President Cheney with Laura Bush and Lynne Cheney in the President's Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) (19909482992).jpg
Vice President Dick Cheney, First Lady Laura Bush, and Second Lady Lynne Cheney in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center following the September 11 attacks

During the September 11 attacks, a number of key personnel were evacuated from their offices in the White House to the PEOC. These included Vice President Dick Cheney, First Lady Laura Bush, Lynne Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Mary Matalin, "Scooter" Libby, Joshua Bolten, Karen Hughes, Stephen Hadley, David Addington, Secret Service agents, U.S. Army major and White House Fellow Mike Fenzel, and other staff including Norman Mineta. President George W. Bush was visiting a school in Florida at the time of the attacks. [3]

May 29, 2020

President Donald Trump retreated to the PEOC during the night of May 29, 2020, at the beginning of the George Floyd protests. [4] [5]

After his time in the bunker was reported in the news, Trump demanded that officials find and prosecute those responsible for the information getting to the press. [6] Trump's secretary of defense, Mark Esper, described in his 2022 book that Trump stated the person who leaked his whereabouts "should be tried for treason and should be executed". [7]

Planned replacement

In 2025, CBS reported that the PEOC was planned to be upgraded by the White House Military Office. [8] [9]

In January 2026, CNN reported that the PEOC had been demolished, along with the rest of the East Wing, to make way for a new facility with more modern technology. Little is known about the upgrades, but White House director of management and administration Joshua Fisher stated at the National Capital Planning Commission that the project will deliver "resilient, adaptive infrastructure aligned with future mission needs." [10] While the technology inside PEOC had been upgraded throughout the decades, the infrastructure still dated to the 1940s. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 Young, Chris. "A Look Inside the U.S. President's Top-Secret White House Bunker". Interesting Engineering. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  2. ↑ Darling, Robert J. (July 29, 2010). 24 Hours Inside the President's Bunker: 9-11-01: the White House. iUniverse. p. 50. ISBN   978-1450244237.
  3. ↑ Clarke, Richard A. (2004). Against All Enemies . New York: Free Press. p.  4,5, 18. ISBN   0-7432-6024-4.
  4. ↑ Peter Baker; Maggie Haberman (May 31, 2020). "As Protests and Violence Spill Over, Trump Shrinks Back". New York Times. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  5. ↑ Walker, Tim (June 1, 2020). "First Thing: with America ablaze, Trump retreated to the bunker". The Guardian. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  6. ↑ Haberman, Maggie; Karni, Annie (June 17, 2020). "Does Trump Want to Fight for a Second Term? His Self-Sabotage Worries Aides". New York Times. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  7. ↑ Cole, Devan (July 13, 2021). "Trump said whoever 'leaked' info on his White House bunker stay should be 'executed,' new book claims". CNN. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Trump administration plans to demolish White House's entire East Wing as ballroom cost grows to $300 million - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. October 22, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  9. ↑ Rogers, Katie; Broadwater, Luke; Kanno-Youngs, Zolan; Pager, Tyler (January 8, 2026). "The Next Phase of Trump's Renovations: A New 'Upper West Wing'". New York Times .
  10. ↑ Klein, Betsy (January 19, 2026). "Inside plans to rebuild the 'top-secret' bunker beneath the White House East Wing". CNN Politics. Retrieved January 20, 2026.

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