{"slug": "trump-s-latest-white-house-renovation-project-a-multimillion-dollar-helipad", "title": "Trump's Latest White House Renovation Project? A Multimillion-Dollar Helipad", "summary": "President Donald Trump announced a new granite helicopter landing pad on the White House South lawn, costing $5-6 million and funded by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary. The project aims to accommodate a new fleet of VH-92A Marine One helicopters that have caused damage to the lawn. Critics, including Democratic senators, have denounced the expense and timing, especially as construction was accelerated ahead of a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.", "body_md": "President [Donald Trump](https://time.com/article/2026/07/06/trump-accounts-explained-children-investments-what-parents-should-know/) said a new granite helicopter landing pad is being built on the White House South lawn to accommodate a fleet of more powerful presidential helicopters.\n\nThe project is estimated to cost between $5 million to $6 million and will be funded by Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin that has a history of manufacturing the Marine One helicopters used by Presidents, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Monday.\n\n“It’s got the seal of the White House on it in granite, in carved granite,” Trump said of the helipad, for which construction is already underway. “It’s really a beautiful thing.”\n\nA new fleet of VH-92A Marine One helicopters entered service in 2024, with former President Joe Biden [taking the first flight aboard](https://apnews.com/article/biden-presidential-helicopter-convention-marine-one-d260ca6dc141979003670189eaebe53b) the Sikorsky-built aircraft.\n\nThat same year, the military [announced](https://www.navair.navy.mil/news/Final-VH-92A-presidential-helicopter-delivered/Mon-08192024-1049) Sikorsky had delivered the last of the 23 helicopters, describing the fleet as offering “increased performance and reduced maintenance costs” compared with its predecessors.\n\nTrump said Monday that the new helicopters generate so much power during landing, they had caused damage to the White House lawn.\n\n\"They didn't tell us how powerful these helicopters were and they felt a little bit guilty,\" Trump [said](https://youtu.be/LoLv8-Z6zS8?t=4358), offering his explanation as to why the company is paying for the project.\n\nWhen asked about the cost and completion of the project a spokesperson for Lockheed Martin told TIME that “this specific contribution was made to the National Park Service.”\n\n“Our engagement with the federal government is guided by rigorous ethics and compliance standards and conducted in full accordance with all applicable laws and regulations,” the spokesperson said.\n\nTrump suggested that the helipad could also be used for[ other White House activities,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoLv8-Z6zS8&t=4425s) such as events and news conferences. It was [reported](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/us/politics/trump-helipad-white-house.html) earlier this year that Trump had made the case for a new helipad at the White House, but the plans were not confirmed until Monday.\n\nThe latest White House renovation has already drawn criticism from some lawmakers.\n\nDemocratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York called the project a “joke,” arguing that Trump is prioritizing construction projects instead of important legislation.\n\n“Trump has refused to sign a bipartisan housing bill that would lower costs for working Americans, build more housing, and stop private equity from buying up homes. But he's laser-focused on building a new helipad,” she [said](https://x.com/SenGillibrand/status/2074236019151446059).\n\nThe project's cost has also come under scrutiny, after [the Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/06/trump-speeds-up-white-house-helipad-driveway-changes-xi-visit-looms/) reported that the White House had accelerated construction ahead of an “upcoming state visit,” increasing costs by roughly $875,000, according to documents viewed by the publication. The documents obtained by the\n\n*Post*do not name the subject of the state visit, but officials requested the accelerated construction timeline days after Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit on Sept. 24, according to the publication.\n\nTIME has been unable to independently verify the contents of the documents. A White House official told TIME that the construction of the helipad is expected to be finished sometime in September, but did not answer questions on potential additional costs of the project.\n\nDemocratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia criticized the helipad project, citing the reported increased sum.\n\n“Trump is now charging taxpayers an extra $875,000 just to speed up construction of his private White House helipad—adding to the hundreds of millions he’s spent on crazy vanity projects that only serve himself,” he [claimed](https://x.com/MarkWarner/status/2074255050059272348).\n\n### Trump's controversial White House and Washington renovation projects\n\nSince returning to office, Trump has sought to refashion both the White House and Washington through a series of high-profile renovation projects.\n\nAmong the most controversial has been the [demolition](https://time.com/article/2026/05/06/trump-s-white-house-ballroom-keeps-growing-in-size-and-cost/) of the White House East Wing to make way for a new ballroom, which Trump has argued is necessary for [security reasons](https://time.com/article/2026/04/28/trump-white-house-ballroom-WHCA-shooting/).\n\nThe project has met many stumbling blocks, with Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough in May [ruling against including funds](https://time.com/article/2026/05/21/trump-demands-republicans-fire-senate-parliamentarian-elizabeth-macdonough/) related to the ballroom in the party’s budget reconciliation bill.\n\nThe proposal has also drawn bipartisan criticism, with several [Senate Republicans joining Democrats](https://time.com/article/2026/06/05/republicans-vote-to-block-trump-white-house-ballroom/) in an unsuccessful effort to block funding for the ballroom through either federal money or private donations without congressional authorization.\n\nHouse Democrats have i[ntroduced legislation](https://time.com/article/2026/05/28/trump-arch-plans-democrat-legislation-construction-projects-backlash/) seeking to block the construction of Trump's proposed [250-ft triumphal arch near](https://time.com/7326081/trump-president-arch-washington-project-construction/) Arlington National Cemetery.\n\nThe [bill](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9047/all-actions) has since been referred to the House Natural Resources Committee.\n\nTrump’s renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has also been met with a series of setbacks.\n\nThe pool’s new blue paint appeared to be peeling off shortly after renovations as an algae bloom [tainted the water green](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c0qynw823eeo). The Administration was [quick to blame individuals](https://time.com/article/2026/06/22/lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-vandalism-algae-paint-trump-admin/) who allegedly vandalized the pool.\n\nThe latest repairs will be carried out by the [same company](https://time.com/article/2026/07/06/lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-repairs-Doug-Burgum-Algae-Gash/) that previously received a no-bid contract to renovate the pool.\n\nTrump oversaw the temporary construction of a giant [UFC arena](https://time.com/article/2026/06/15/ufc-fight-white-house-hokit-obama/) on the White House lawn last month for a fight marking [America's 250th anniversary](https://time.com/article/2026/06/15/ufc-fight-white-house-freedom-250-photos/).\n\nHe also added his name to the [Kennedy Center building](https://time.com/article/2026/05/31/burgum-says-trump-s-name-won-t-be-taken-off-kennedy-center-after-judges-ruling/) in December, but it was [removed](https://time.com/article/2026/06/09/trump-name-removed-kennedy-center-building/) last month after a federal judge ruled that only Congress could change the name of the cultural center.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trump-s-latest-white-house-renovation-project-a-multimillion-dollar-helipad", "canonical_source": "https://time.com/article/2026/07/07/trumps-white-house-renovation-project-multimillion-dollar-helipad-backlash/", "published_at": "2026-07-07 15:07:17+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-07 15:38:59.735152+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy"], "entities": ["Donald Trump", "Sikorsky", "Lockheed Martin", "Marine One", "VH-92A", "Kirsten Gillibrand", "Mark Warner", "Xi Jinping"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trump-s-latest-white-house-renovation-project-a-multimillion-dollar-helipad", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trump-s-latest-white-house-renovation-project-a-multimillion-dollar-helipad.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trump-s-latest-white-house-renovation-project-a-multimillion-dollar-helipad.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trump-s-latest-white-house-renovation-project-a-multimillion-dollar-helipad.jsonld"}}