Trump orders dismantling and redo of new White House helipad

Published Aug 4, 07:36 PM UTC

President Donald Trump has ordered contractors to dismantle and redo weeks of work on a new White House helipad, after previously demanding accelerated construction. The helipad, built without official notice by Clark Construction under a no-bid contract, was part of a $13 million renovation project. In early July, a last-minute demand added $875,000 to complete it by September 17 for an upcoming state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24. The redo comes amid other White House renovation controversies, including the Department of Justice admitting flawed work by Trump's contractors on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. It is unclear how much the additional alterations will cost or if the helipad will be completed on schedule. Trump previously claimed Sikorsky would cover the $5-6 million helipad cost, but taxpayers likely will pay for the rest.