Trump Orders Reconstruction of White House Granite Helipad

President Donald Trump ordered the dismantling and reconstruction of a new granite helipad on the White House South Lawn after determining the pad was not level with the horizon. The project, which includes the removal of a 100-foot-wide presidential seal, is estimated to cost between $5 million and $6 million.

Trump stated that Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, is covering the full cost of the project. According to the president, the company agreed to pay because exhaust from the new VH-92A Patriot helicopters damaged the lawn grass. The president aims to have the helipad completed by September in time for a state visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the project, stating that the grounds required a proper helipad to ensure safe landings and protect the South Lawn grass from helicopter exhaust. The helipad is part of a larger series of Washington, D.C. renovations that include a new ballroom and refurbishments to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.