The White House is making security-focused upgrades to its front door, an official told CNN, in a project that’s expected to take months.
The changes, which sources said have long been advocated by the US Secret Service, are aimed at fortifying the White House entrance at the North Portico, which has recently been obscured by scaffolding and a tarp as workers repair the exterior columns at President Donald Trump’s request.
But unlike many of Trump’s projects around the White House — from hanging gold signage to paving the Rose Garden — the work on the front door is not cosmetic, and instead focused on enhancing its security, the White House official said.
The US Secret Service did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
The security enhancements come as Trump has been the target of multiple assassination attempts, including at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton in April. And last month, there was an alleged plot to attack the UFC fight on the White House South Lawn. Officials have pointed to those incidents as justification for the president’s sprawling, 90,000-square-foot ballroom project, which they’ve said is expected to include a sophisticated drone port and sniper nests, along with a secure underground bunker.
