Fact Check: Did members of Trump's Cabinet commission nuclear bomb shelters?

WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the ongoing US-Iran war, a rumor circulated online claiming that President Donald Trump's Cabinet had commissioned nuclear bomb shelters.

The claim seems to have originated in a March 8 article by The Telegraph about Ron Hubbard, the owner of Atlas Survival Shelters. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.

Claim: Members of Trump's Cabinet commission nuclear bomb shelters

An X user came up with a post that read, "2 people in the Trump regime are having personal nuclear doomsday bunkers being built right now, if you wanted to know just how disastrous everything truly is at the moment."

The viral post garnered more than 200,000 views on X, and more than 5,000 users liked the post.

As per the report, Ron Hubbard, who has no relation to Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard, said inquiries about his shelters have gone up "tenfold" since the US and Israel began a war against Iran on February 28. 

According to the outlet, Hubbard said he had 'two senior Cabinet members in the Trump administration' as clients, and the rumor spread from there. 

Fact Check: Unverified, based on a single uncorroborated claim

The claim made in the online post and article remains unverified, as the claim originates entirely from the March 8 interview with Ron Hubbard.

The Telegraph article is the primary source where Hubbard claims high-profile clients, but refuses to name them. He ties the surge to Iran war fears, including his company's new Dubai office opening just before Iranian missile strikes there, as per the article. 

Meanwhile, Hubbard did not identify the Cabinet members, as there were no mentions of Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, or others speculated in replies, and no photos, contracts, payments, or official statements corroborate it.

Fact-checking outlet Snopes has also rated it as originating from Hubbard's claim via The Telegraph, with no further verification.

In summary, the rumor remains unsubstantiated beyond one business owner's word. No hard evidence supports it. The verdict remains unconfirmed, especially given the heightened tensions from the Iran conflict.