Presidential Emergency Operations Center
{{distinguish|Situation Room}}
{{short description|Bunker underneath the East Wing of the White House}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox room
| name = Presidential Emergency Operations Center
| image = 250px
| caption = 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
| location = Washington, D.C.
| country = United States
| building = The White House's East Wing
| coordinates = {{coord|38.89757|-77.03565|type:landmark_region:US-DC|display=inline,title}}
| purpose =
}}
The Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC, {{respell|PEE|ock}}) is a bunker underneath the East Wing of the White House. It serves as a secure shelter and communications center for the president of the United States and others in case of an emergency.
History
=World War II=
The first White House bunker was built during World War II to protect President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the event of an aerial attack on the national capital of Washington, D.C.
The present-day 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.{{cite book |last=Darling |first=Robert J. |author-link= |date=29 July 2010 |title=24 Hours Inside the President's Bunker: 9-11-01: the White House |url= |location= |publisher=iUniverse|page=50 |isbn=978-1450244237}}
=September 11 attacks=
File:Vice President Cheney with Laura Bush and Lynne Cheney in the President's Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) (19909482992).jpg, 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 Mike Fenzel serving on a White House Fellowship, and other staff including Norman Mineta. President George W. Bush was visiting a school in Florida at the time of the attacks.{{cite book|first=Richard A.|last=Clarke|author-link=Richard A. Clarke|title=Against All Enemies|publisher=Free Press|year=2004|location=New York|page=[https://archive.org/details/againstallenemie00clar/page/4/5/18 4,5, 18]|isbn=0-7432-6024-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/againstallenemie00clar/page/18}} Australian Prime Minister
John Howard was incorrectly reported as being bundled into the PEOC but was actually in a bunker at the Australian Embassy.{{cite web |url=https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/john-howard-recalls-being-bundled-off-to-a-bunker-under-australian-embassy-in-washington-dc-after-september-11-attacks/news-story/306f338e0364375347d1e66bffb1d1a9 |title=John Howard recalls being bundled off to a bunker under Australian embassy in Washington DC after September 11 attacks |author= |date= September 9, 2021|website=skynews.au}}
=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.{{cite news|title=As Protests and Violence Spill Over, Trump Shrinks Back|author1=Peter Baker|author2=Maggie Haberman|work=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/politics/trump-protests-george-floyd.html|date=May 31, 2020|access-date=May 31, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Tim |title=First Thing: with America ablaze, Trump was moved to the bunker |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/01/first-thing-with-america-ablaze-trump-retreated-to-the-bunker |accessdate=June 1, 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=June 1, 2020}}
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.{{cite web |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |last2=Karni |first2=Annie |title=Does Trump Want to Fight for a Second Term? His Self-Sabotage Worries Aides |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/us/politics/trump-2020-election.html |work=New York Times |accessdate=June 18, 2020 |date=June 17, 2020}} 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".{{cite web |last1=Cole |first1=Devan |title=Trump said whoever 'leaked' info on his White House bunker stay should be 'executed,' new book claims |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/13/politics/trump-white-house-bunker-leak-executed-treason-book-claims/index.html |website=CNN |access-date=7 August 2024 |language=en |date=13 July 2021}}{{cite magazine |last1=Vaillancourt |first1=William |title=Trump, Who Constantly Complained About Leaks, Was 'the Biggest Leaker of All,' Former Defense Secretary Says |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-biggest-leaker-mark-esper-book-1351266/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=12 May 2022 |date=10 May 2022}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{White House|state=collapsed}}
Category:Air raid shelters in the United States
Category:Continuity of government in the United States
Category:Presidency of the United States
Category:Rooms in the White House
Category:Subterranea of the United States
Category:Bunkers in the United States
{{US-gov-stub}}