Trump orders White House helipad redesign as crews dismantle weeks of construction

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has ordered contractors to redo portions of the new White House helipad after expressing dissatisfaction with the project, prompting crews to dismantle weeks of construction on the South Lawn.

According to a report by the Washington Post, Trump questioned the appearance of the landing pad and whether the slope of the White House lawn should be altered, despite construction progressing around the clock for weeks. 

The redesign comes as the administration aims to complete the project before Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit in late September.

Trump orders White House helipad redesign

Construction on the permanent helipad began in June to accommodate the new VH-92A Patriot helicopters, whose downward-facing exhaust can scorch the White House lawn during landings.

It remains unclear how much additional time or cost the redesign will add to the more than $5 million project, which is being funded by Lockheed Martin.

However, contractors have now begun dismantling completed portions of the project after the president reportedly objected to the way the landing pad aligned with the sloping South Lawn.

The crew was reportedly ordered to remove sections of the nearly completed 100-foot-wide granite presidential seal that had been installed in recent days.

The helipad project is intended to solve a long-running operational problem caused by the new presidential helicopters, whose engines direct heat toward the ground.

Until construction is completed, Marine One will continue using the Ellipse, just south of the White House, as its temporary landing site.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the project, saying, "For years, the White House has desperately needed a proper Helipad on White House grounds that will allow the President to land safely and also protect the beautiful South Lawn grass from the fierce exhaust fumes of the incredible Marine One."

Trump unveils more White House projects

The helipad is one of several construction projects Trump has personally overseen as part of his broader effort to reshape the White House and surrounding federal grounds.

The permanent landing area will sit near the South Portico, replacing the long-standing practice of Marine One landing directly on the lawn.

Trump also highlighted another White House construction project in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, August 4, describing a planned military complex near the East Wing.

"The very complex and expensive structure, being built for the United States Military, at the East Wing of the White House... is on cost, and substantially ahead of schedule," Trump wrote.

He added that the project would include a "DronePort" and a new ballroom, which he said would be funded by private donors rather than taxpayers.

"It will provide the highest level of Defense, Offense, and Safety for the people of Washington, DC, and for, importantly, future Presidents, and is paid for by Great American Patriots, no taxpayer money!" Trump wrote.

While the White House has described the helipad as a necessary infrastructure upgrade, the redesign underscores Trump's close personal involvement in the project's appearance and construction as work continues ahead of the administration's target completion date.