Trump Plays White House Tour Guide to Show Off Work on His Helipad and Ballroom
Trump said the granite pad will last a million years and be used for foreign leaders and White House events.
- On Wednesday, President Donald Trump led an impromptu tour of White House construction, unveiling a new granite helipad on the South Lawn and showcasing recent driveway upgrades with California-mined stone.
- Sikorsky Aircraft funded the $5 million to $6 million helipad project to eliminate South Lawn damage caused by new VH-92A presidential helicopters that shredded grass during landings.
- Trump praised the granite's 35,000 pounds per square inch strength and signed a stone slab for the helipad's seal, while Scotts Miracle-Gro donated high-quality grass to repair the South Lawn.
- Senator Mark Warner criticized the administration for "charging taxpayers an extra $875,000" to accelerate construction, as the $400 million ballroom project remains 65% complete.
- Construction of the helipad should finish by September 21, in time for a planned visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping, as Trump continues to emphasize construction projects as central to his presidential legacy.
165 Articles
165 Articles
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Before-and-after photos show the decor changes Trump has made to the White House so far
President Donald Trump has redecorated the Oval Office and other White House spaces.Alex Wong/Getty Images ; Saul Loeb/Getty ImagesDonald Trump has brought his love of maximalism and gold furnishings to the White House.He added gold embellishments to the walls and ceiling of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room.He has also renovated the Rose Garden and demolished the East Wing to build a ballroom.The White House looks a little bit different these da…
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Trump shows off multimillion-dollar White House helipad and adds his signature
President Donald Trump signs a piece of stone at the construction site of a helipad on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Aug. 19, 2026. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) (WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed his name on one of the slabs of a new multimillion-dollar granite helipad being built on the White House South Lawn as he showcased the ongoing construction project for the first time. “It’s very exciting, very exci…
Trump unveils granite helipad for new Marine One
US President Donald Trump led reporters onto the White House South Lawn on August 19, 2026, to show off a partly built granite helicopter landing pad, signing his name on one of the slabs during the tour. The pad exists because the Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot, the helicopter the US Navy bought to take over the Marine One mission, has never met a key performance requirement to land without damaging the surface beneath it. The US Government Accoun…
Trump says new White House helipad will be used ‘like a table, for cocktail parties’
Donald Trump has boasted his new multimillion-dollar White House helipad can double as a cocktail reception space. On Wednesday (19 August), the US president unveiled the new granite helipad on the South Lawn for the first time. "It's very exciting, very exciting, and I think it will be here for a long time,” he told reporters as he gave them a tour of the construction site. He also said the new helipad, which is aimed to be completed ahead of C…
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