Trump orders redo of White House helipad after dissatisfaction with appearance

Published Aug 4, 06:23 PM UTC

President Donald Trump has ordered contractors to redo work on the White House helipad after growing frustrated with its appearance, according to the Washington Post. Construction began quietly in June 2026 without prior announcement or approvals from Congress or the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. The helipad, already costing over $5 million and funded by Lockheed Martin, was being built on the South Lawn which slants downward, but Trump wants a level surface. Contractors are now considering altering the lawn itself. The project was previously accelerated for completion before Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit in September. The helipad is one of 18 major construction projects Trump has launched across Washington, D.C., totaling an estimated $1.2 billion, including a $600 million White House ballroom and repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.