Trump gets possessive over mystery White House helipad man, won't let other jobs steal him

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump apparently has a new White House policy for particularly talented construction workers: don’t let anyone else discover how good they are.

During a Wednesday, August 19, tour of the White House’s new helipad, Trump introduced reporters to the man overseeing the project but deliberately withheld his full name, joking that he did not want other employers coming after him.

“I just say his name is Brett,” Trump said, explaining that there was still plenty of work waiting for him at the White House.

Trump gets possessive for helipad boss

The moment came as Trump walked reporters through the construction area. When attention turned to the person overseeing the helipad construction, Trump made an unusual introduction.

He would give the man a first name, Brett, but that was about it.

“I don't want to give him too much credit, and I don't want a lot of people using him,” Trump said. “I just say his name is Brett because I don't want other people, because we got a lot of work to do and I want you to stay here. I'm not looking for you to go to other jobs!”

Trump also highlighted the people actually doing the work, calling the construction workers “real artists.”

At one point, he invited some of the workers to participate in the project themselves.

Trump said he wanted to sign a rendition of a bald eagle that will be visible from the air on the finished helipad and invited members of the construction crew to sign it as well.

“I'd like to sign it, and I'd like to have some of the construction guys sign it,” he said.

Trump flexes White House helipad 

The president also showed reporters the nearly completed helipad and spent considerable time discussing the materials being used, including the granite that will form the surface.

Trump emphasized the stone's durability, pointing to its reported compressive strength of roughly 35,000 pounds per square inch, compared with about 5,000 pounds for hard concrete.

He also made a characteristically confident prediction about its longevity, saying the granite could last for about a million years and joking that he would be proven wrong if reporters found a crack in it a decade from now.

The helipad is expected to receive a hand-carved presidential seal, adding another distinctive feature to the South Lawn.

The president has repeatedly taken an active interest in construction projects at the building, including the much larger ballroom project planned for the East Wing area.

The new helipad is also expected to be ready soon, with Trump suggesting it could be completed around the time Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected in Washington for a state visit.