According to a report by CNN on August 20th, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed parts of the construction projects at the White House on the 19th. He temporarily invited reporters to the South Lawn to observe the progress of the renovation work on the White House driveway and the construction of the new helicopter pad.
During the visit, Trump was highly enthusiastic and emphasized his personal involvement in these projects. He paid close attention to many matters that were not within his scope of responsibilities, such as the placement of columns, the cutting method for granite, and the removal of potholes from the road surface.
However, he first introduced in detail another project that had not been previously announced and was already completed.
Trump, amidst the sound of construction machinery, pointed at the ground below and said, “This place used to have just asphalt roads, which were very simple. It’s not suitable for such a magnificent building—not suitable for a place as grand as the White House.”
He added that the lanes have been repaved using white granite from California, calling it a “very special type of stone”.
Trump also indicated that he was involved in making the decision to demolish the completed parts of the helicopter landing pad earlier this month.
The construction of the landing pad began in June, but a few weeks later, it was discovered that the laid stone materials had been disassembled. The White House previously refused to provide an explanation for this change, but the President stated on the 19th that he was not satisfied with the slope of the landing pad.
Trump said, “I think the slope is too steep. Although it was designed for rainwater drainage, I still feel it’s too steep.” He also announced that the current slope is “completely flat”.
Then, he said to a group of workers, “I’m sorry that we spent an extra week and a half, but raising the platform was one of the best things we’ve done. Right? I believe you didn’t like it in its original state either.”
Before arriving at the unfinished landing strip, he stopped again and praised the newly laid topsoil and lawn. "If you were a lawn, you would be very happy."
Trump's favorite White House project, a 90,000 square-foot banquet hall, was not included in the tour route, but the President still mentioned it repeatedly. His administration has submitted the project to the Supreme Court, arguing that the building and its most advanced underground shelter facilities are "important to national security." Recently, he and the White House have tried to strengthen this argument by referring to the banquet hall as a "military complex."
Trump downplayed the concern that the Supreme Court might issue a ruling against him, suspending the construction, saying he “couldn’t imagine such a situation happening.”
According to a court document submitted earlier this month, construction of the banquet hall is progressing rapidly. A team of 250 workers works seven days a week, 20 hours a day. The document states that the complex is ‘already 65% complete’.
Trump said, “There is one thing I know how to do, and that is to build… I love architecture, and I like to see things properly maintained.” He also added that these projects “will remain here for a long time after we leave.”
According to a recent review by the fact-checking website Politifact, throughout 2026, the president spent a significant amount of time discussing these projects in public speeches, more often than any other topic except for warfare against Iran.
Trump also outlined a comprehensive plan for how these new projects will be used for hosting guests outside the White House.
He said with great enthusiasm, “They don’t even need to enter the White House; they can park their cars on these beautiful new drives. After getting out of the car, they can walk along this road to the helicopter pad, where they can enjoy cocktails and everything else outside the White House, before entering the banquet hall.”
