{"id":2026112,"date":"2023-09-08T16:40:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T20:40:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inside-the-brand-new-white-house-situation-room\/"},"modified":"2023-09-08T16:48:03","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T20:48:03","slug":"inside-the-brand-new-white-house-situation-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inside-the-brand-new-white-house-situation-room\/","title":{"rendered":"In the new White House situation room"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Finside-the-brand-new-white-house-situation-room%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2026112&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The White House Situation Room: A $50 \u2062Million Facelift<\/h2>\n<p>The White House Situation Room, a space of\u2063 great mystique and \u2063even greater secrecy, has just undergone a \u200cremarkable transformation. This highly secure complex, located on\u200c the ground\u2064 floor of the\u200d West Wing, is far more than just a &#8220;room.&#8221; Spanning 5,500\u2064 square feet, \u2062it consists of conference\u200c rooms and offices where history is made, where presidents meet with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nbc-news-covers-the-biden-administration\/\" title=\"NBC News Covers the Biden Administration\u00a0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/we-got-it-newsmax-reporter-emerald-robinson-national-security-source-confirms-a-piece-of-hardware-has-been-secured-in-germany\/\" title=\"We Got It! - Newsmax Reporter Emerald Robinson: National Security Source Confirms \"A Piece of Hardware Has Been Secured\" in Germany\">national security<\/a> officials<\/a>,\u2063 engage in discussions about secret operations and sensitive government \u2064matters, hold conversations with foreign leaders, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inside-the-brand-new-white-house-situation-room\/\" title=\"In the new White House <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-confirms-nonveteran-to-head-bidens-veterans-affairs-dept\/\" title=\"Senate Confirms Nonveteran To Head Biden\u2019s Veterans Affairs Dept\">situation room<\/a>&#8220;>navigate major national security crises<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It was\u2063 in this very space that President Barack Obama and \u200bhis team watched the raid that \u2062led to the demise \u2064of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011. President Donald \u200cTrump monitored the 2019\u200c operation that \u2062killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi from here. \u200dAnd it was in\u2064 these rooms\u200c that President Lyndon Johnson\u200c meticulously reviewed Vietnam War plans.<\/p>\n<p>The recent renovation of the White House Situation Room \u200bwas no small feat. It took an\u200c entire year to \u200ccomplete\u2062 the total gut \u200brenovation. This\u2063 week, the White House opened\u200b the classified space to a group of reporters\u2064 for a \u200brare visit to witness the stunning \u2062new look. President Joe Biden himself toured\u2064 the space on \u200cTuesday and received an intelligence briefing there, \u2062expressing his admiration \u200cfor the update.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>&#8220;Folks, the newly renovated White House Situation Room is up and running,&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>Biden said in a post on X,\u200b formerly Twitter. <strong>&#8220;My thanks to everyone\u2064 who\u200d worked\u200d on this incredible facility.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The renovated space exudes a modern-yet-vintage vibe. The old floors, furniture,\u2064 computers,\u200b and other outdated technology have \u200dbeen\u2062 replaced with pristine mahogany paneling from Maryland, stonework from a Virginia quarry, LED lights that can change \u2063colors, and sleek flat-screen panels. Glass offices can be made opaque \u200cwith\u2063 the press of a button, \u2062adding an element of privacy. The entire space has that unmistakable new car smell.<\/p>\n<p>However, despite \u2062the modern upgrades, landline phones still \u200bdominate the secure space due\u200b to security reasons. Cellphones are strictly prohibited. Cubbies are provided near the exit for individuals to store their phones. Interestingly, earlier this year, a baggie containing cocaine was discovered in one \u200cof these cubbies.<\/p>\n<p>Access to the White House Situation Room is tightly controlled and limited to the president&#8217;s\u2063 national security and\u200c military advisers. Only those\u2064 with proper \u200cclearance are allowed to listen in on \u2064classified briefings. Even the contractors involved in the renovation \u200chad to obtain temporary security clearances. Illuminated signs flash green\u2064 for declassified\u200d information and \u2064red for classified.<\/p>\n<p>The creation of this \u200bhush-hush\u2062 complex dates back to 1961 when the Kennedy administration established it after the Bay of Pigs invasion.\u200c President John \u2062F.\u200c Kennedy recognized the need for a dedicated crisis management center where officials could\u2063 swiftly and effectively coordinate intelligence.<\/p>\n<p>After the \u200dterrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the White House underwent a significant update to the \u200dSituation Room, along with broader enhancements to presidential communications\u2064 on Air Force One and\u2064 the presidential helicopter. The complex was\u2064 used for secure video conferences before such\u200c technology \u200bbecame more portable. The most recent renovation prior \u2062to this one occurred in \u200c2007.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200dWhite House Situation Room is staffed around the clock \u200cby military and civilian personnel who monitor\u2064 global developments in real-time. The complex features a \u2062reception area adorned with a U.S. seal in stonework. The main conference room, \u200dknown \u2063as the &#8220;JFK room,&#8221; is located behind it. Adjacent\u200c to the reception area are a smaller conference room and two soundproof &#8220;breakout rooms.&#8221; On the other side is the &#8220;watch floor,&#8221; a 24\/7 operations center.<\/p>\n<p>According to Marc Gustafson, the Situation Room director, the new space seamlessly \u2062blends traditional and modern elements. Workers\u2064 dug five feet underground\u200b to create more room and install cutting-edge technology\u2062 that allows White House officials \u200dto consolidate intelligence from \u200bvarious agencies \u2064with just a few clicks.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>&#8220;Now we have all the capabilities,&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>Gustafson said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Interestingly, the term &#8220;sit room&#8221; is no longer used \u200damong insiders.\u2062 Instead, they refer to \u200dit as the \u200b&#8221;whizzer,&#8221; derived from\u2064 the complex&#8217;s acronym: WHSR. Washington certainly loves its acronyms.<\/p>\n<p>Gustafson emphasized that the goal is to avoid the need for another \u2062complete \u2064renovation in the future.\u200c The new\u2063 space was \u200ddesigned to allow \u2063for\u200c the removal \u200cand \u200cupdating of panels and the seamless integration of new technology, all while minimizing space requirements. A room that was \u200bonce occupied by computer servers has been repurposed into a smaller conference room.<\/p>\n<p>The JFK room is furnished \u200cwith a long wooden table surrounded by leather chairs, with a\u2064 larger chair at the head for the president. Leather armchairs line the\u200d walls, and a state-of-the-art screen spans the length of the back wall. The presidential end of the room features an\u200b impressive 2-foot seal, larger\u2062 than the previous \u200cone.<\/p>\n<p>While there\u200d aren&#8217;t many \u200dphotographs of the Situation Room, one of the most iconic\u2062 images is that of\u2062 Obama, Secretary of State\u200c Hillary Clinton, Vice President Biden, and others\u2062 watching the bin \u2062Laden operation. This took place in a smaller conference room adjacent \u2064to the JFK room, which no longer exists. It has been removed from the space and \u2064sent to\u2063 Obama&#8217;s presidential library. In its \u2064place, two smaller rooms have been created.<\/p>\n<p>Another historical artifact preserved is an old phone booth that once stood in the complex. It has \u200bbeen placed in storage for eventual display in\u200c Biden&#8217;s presidential library.\u2063 Gustafson\u200b is unsure if anything\u2062 similar has been sent to Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Gustafson revealed \u200dthat staff members must always be \u2062prepared to set up rooms for classified briefings at a moment&#8217;s notice. Biden has been known to drop in on meetings unexpectedly,\u2063 particularly during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While the area was closed for \u2062renovation,\u2062 White House officials utilized \u2064other secure locations on the \u2063campus. Currently, about \u206360% of the staff have returned to the renovated Situation Room, \u200bwith more returning each\u200b day.<\/p>\n<p>One \u200cnotable cosmetic upgrade \u2062is the ability to swap out different 2-foot-diameter seals that hang on the wall of the JFK room, depending on the attendees. Seals for the president, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-defector-emails-pipeline-to-obama-admin-seen-as-currency\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden Defector Emails: 'Pipeline' to Obama Admin Seen as 'Currency'\">vice president<\/a>, and executive staff are\u2062 kept in \u200ca nearby closet and can be quickly exchanged.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>&#8220;This looks like the movies,&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>Gustafson proudly declared, reflecting visitors&#8217; reactions to the revamped space.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The White House Situation Room, known for its secrecy, recently underwent a $50 million renovation. It is not just a room, but a 5,500-square-foot complex of secure conference rooms and offices in the West Wing. Gavin Newsom urges to stop speculating about Biden&#8217;s candidacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2026113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2026112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2026112"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026112\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2026113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2026112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2026112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2026112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}