Written by Elizabeth Harper.

A startling claim has emerged from a former U.S. housing official, alleging that the federal government has covertly allocated $21 trillion to construct a sprawling underground city and transportation network designed for the nation’s wealthiest and most influential figures. This clandestine infrastructure, purportedly built to serve as a refuge in the event of a catastrophic “near-extinction event,” raises profound questions about government transparency, fiscal responsibility, and the prioritization of elite interests. The allegations, if substantiated, would represent an unprecedented diversion of public resources, shrouded in secrecy and insulated from public scrutiny.

Origins and Scope of the Allegation

Catherine Austin Fitts, who served as Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Housing from 1989 to 1990, recently shared these claims during an appearance on a podcast hosted by former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson. Now 74, Fitts asserted that the U.S. government has spent decades funneling $21 trillion into a hidden network of underground bases, urban infrastructure, and transportation systems. She described this as a deliberate effort to create a secure enclave for the nation’s elite, capable of sustaining them through a global catastrophe.

Fitts pointed to a study by Michigan State University economist Mark Skidmore, which identified $21 trillion in “unauthorized spending” within the Departments of Defense and Housing and Urban Development between 1998 and 2015. According to Fitts, this funding was redirected to construct approximately 170 underground facilities across the United States and beneath surrounding oceanic regions, interconnected by a sophisticated transportation network. The scale of this alleged project, spanning multiple administrations and decades, suggests a coordinated effort to prioritize the safety of a select few over broader public interests.

Web-based research reveals that discussions of underground bases are not new, often appearing in national security contexts or conspiracy theories. For instance, facilities like Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado and Raven Rock in Pennsylvania are well-documented as government continuity sites. However, Fitts’s claim extends far beyond these known installations, positing a vast, undocumented network designed for elite survival rather than governmental continuity. This distinction amplifies the gravity of her allegations, as it implies a misuse of public funds for private gain.

Purpose and Functionality of the Alleged Infrastructure

The purported purpose of this underground city is to provide a sanctuary for the wealthy and powerful in the face of a “near-extinction event,” such as a global ecological collapse, nuclear conflict, or other existential threats. Fitts suggested that the infrastructure supports a range of secretive activities, potentially including a covert space program. The transportation network, she claimed, enables seamless connectivity between bases, ensuring mobility and access to resources during a crisis. This level of planning indicates a strategic foresight that prioritizes the preservation of elite influence over societal recovery.

Fitts and her team reportedly spent two years, from 2021 to 2023, compiling data on these facilities. Their estimate of 170 bases, both terrestrial and sub-oceanic, reflects an ambitious scope that would require immense logistical and financial resources. The inclusion of underwater facilities introduces additional complexity, as such construction demands advanced engineering and secrecy to avoid detection. While Fitts did not provide specific locations, her reference to a transformer box on Washington, D.C.’s Constitution Avenue as a White House egress point, as recounted by Carlson, lends a tangible, albeit anecdotal, element to her narrative.

The concept of underground cities is not entirely speculative. Web searches highlight examples like Beijing’s Dixia Cheng, a Cold War-era bunker network, and modern billionaire bunkers in New Zealand, built to withstand apocalyptic scenarios. These precedents suggest that Fitts’s claims, while extraordinary, align with a broader trend of elite preparedness. However, the scale and secrecy she describes—$21 trillion in hidden spending—set her allegations apart, implying a systemic betrayal of public trust.

Implications for Governance and Transparency

The allegation of a $21 trillion underground city raises critical questions about government accountability and the allocation of public resources. If true, the diversion of such funds from the Departments of Defense and Housing and Urban Development would represent a staggering breach of fiscal oversight, spanning nearly two decades. The fact that this spending allegedly went undetected until Skidmore’s study underscores potential vulnerabilities in federal budgeting processes, where “unauthorized” expenditures could evade congressional and public scrutiny.

Moreover, the prioritization of an elite refuge over broader societal needs—such as infrastructure, healthcare, or disaster preparedness for the general population—would reflect a profound misalignment of government priorities. For example, the $21 trillion could have addressed pressing domestic challenges, such as modernizing the U.S. electrical grid or expanding affordable housing, both of which fall under HUD’s purview. Instead, Fitts’s claims suggest that taxpayer dollars were siphoned into a project benefiting a narrow segment of society, exacerbating inequality in the face of potential global calamity.

Public reaction to such allegations is likely to be polarized. Some may view the construction of survival infrastructure as a prudent safeguard for national leadership, akin to existing continuity-of-government plans. Others, however, will see it as an egregious misuse of power, reinforcing perceptions of a disconnected elite. Web-based discussions of similar claims often highlight public distrust in government institutions, fueled by opaque decision-making and unaccountable spending. Fitts’s narrative taps into this sentiment, amplifying concerns about systemic corruption and secrecy.

Challenges and Skepticism Surrounding the Claims

While Fitts’s allegations are compelling, they face significant hurdles in gaining widespread acceptance. The absence of concrete evidence, such as specific locations, blueprints, or whistleblower accounts beyond anecdotal references, limits the claims’ credibility. The scale of the project—170 bases and a transcontinental transportation network—would require an extraordinary level of coordination, involving thousands of contractors, engineers, and officials, all operating under strict secrecy. Maintaining such a conspiracy over decades strains plausibility, given the potential for leaks or oversight failures.

Additionally, the financial figures cited by Fitts and Skidmore invite scrutiny. The $21 trillion figure, equivalent to the U.S. national debt at the time of Skidmore’s study, suggests an implausible reallocation of resources without triggering economic alarms. For context, the entire U.S. federal budget in 2015 was approximately $3.8 trillion, meaning the alleged spending would have consumed multiple years’ worth of budgets undetected. This discrepancy raises questions about the methodology behind Skidmore’s findings and Fitts’s interpretation of the data.

Carlson’s anecdote about the Washington, D.C. contractor adds a relatable dimension but lacks corroboration. Urban legends about secret tunnels beneath the capital are not uncommon, often tied to Cold War-era contingency planning. However, extrapolating from a single egress point to a nationwide network of cities requires a leap that many may find untenable. Web searches reveal that skepticism about underground base conspiracies often centers on logistical feasibility and the lack of verifiable evidence, a challenge Fitts’s claims must overcome to gain traction.

Our Take

Catherine Austin Fitts’s allegation of a $21 trillion underground city for the elite is a provocative indictment of government secrecy and resource allocation. If true, it would expose a systemic failure of oversight and a troubling prioritization of elite survival over public welfare. The scale of the claimed infrastructure, while aligned with global trends in billionaire preparedness, strains credulity without substantive evidence. The reliance on anecdotal accounts and unverified financial data undermines the narrative’s persuasiveness, though it resonates with broader public distrust in institutional transparency. This controversy underscores the need for rigorous scrutiny of federal spending and a renewed commitment to equitable disaster preparedness. Until concrete evidence emerges, Fitts’s claims remain a cautionary tale about the perils of unchecked power and the allure of apocalyptic foresight.

BREAKING: A former housing official alleges the U.S. government secretly redirected $21 trillion to create an underground “city” for the elite during a “near-extinction event.”

This is INSANE if true. pic.twitter.com/HvUWA9Eoy5

— Jack (@jackunheard) May 5, 2025