Trump adds new project to White House makeover, a 'beautiful helipad"
President Donald Trump said he's building a "beautiful helipad" on the White House South Lawn, adding to his efforts to overhaul the presidential residence and grounds.
The helipad is needed to handle the new, more powerful helicopters in the fleet used to transport the president to and from the White House, Trump said during a July 6 White House event. The new Marine One helicopters from Sikorsky Aircraft "ripped up the grass" on the South Lawn, he said.
"Everybody said, well, we'll keep using the old helicopters when we have to land at the White House and for everything else we use the new helicopters," the president said.
Instead, Trump suggested installing a helipad at the White House, saying he has a number of them in his private real estate portfolio and installing one "solves all of the problems."
The helipad will have the presidential seal carved in granite, Trump said. He estimated the cost at $5 million to $6 million and said Sikorsky is paying for it. Lockheed Martin, which owns Sikorsky, confirmed the contribution range shared by Trump.
"It's going to be, I think, really beautiful," the president said.
Trump has put his mark on the White House and presidential grounds with a series of construction projects, demolishing the East Wing to build a new ballroom, installing a patio in the Rose Garden, revamping the West Wing colonnade and renovating the Lincoln Bathroom.
The White House makeover is part of a broader effort by Trump to reshape the DC landscape and key landmarks. The president is planning to build a new triumphal arch near the National Mall and has launched various renovation efforts, including to the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
The projects have been met with lawsuits and criticism from historic preservation groups, but Trump has staunchly defended them and recently told rallygoers the changes are about creating a legacy that will last for generations.
"The great civilizations of history did not wallow in aging ruins of the past," Trump said during a June 24 rally on the National Mall. "They built new cities, they created new monuments, and they forged towering legacies that still inspire the world after hundreds and even thousands of years."
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump adds new project to White House makeover, a 'beautiful helipad"
Reporting by Zac Anderson, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 2:40 PM.