Since returning to office in 2025, President Donald Trump launched an ambitious effort to reshape parts of the White House and surrounding Washington, D.C. landmarks—from a South Lawn helipad to a brand new ballroom and even a proposed triumphal arch. Here is a look at Trump’s overhaul projects that are re-shaping Washington, D.C. Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.
Since returning to office, Trump has backed a series of renovations, restoration projects and new construction efforts at the White House and across Washington, D.C. The White House updates range from cosmetic changes such as the Rose Garden redesign and Oval Office makeover to major infrastructure projects including a new ballroom, helipad and triumphal arch. In May 2026, plans were announced to build a helipad on the South Lawn of the White House.
Trump told reporters at the White House that the landing pad was necessary because the next generation of Marine One helicopters damages the lawn every time they land. "It's not that the grass gets discolored—it gets ripped out," leading to the decision to build the new helipad. In a post on Truth Social on September 6, Trump announced the work was complete.
The multimillion-dollar helipad features a prominent black-and-white version of the Presidential Seal, surrounded by a granite ring bearing the words "Seal of the President of the United States." The landing zone is connected to the White House by a newly paved pathway that runs from the circle toward the residence, creating a direct route between Marine One's landing area and the building. In a post on Truth Social on Monday, the president wrote: “It is magnificently made of carved granite in shades of Black and White. It is truly a work of art and, even the Trump Haters are saying, 'Wow, that’s really good!'” In July this year, Trump dubbed the state of the White House “deplorable” as the White House told Newsweek that the North Portico columns were undergoing “standard restoration work” for stone repair.
Revealing the before and after pictures of the columns on Monday, Trump said: “The White House was in very bad condition, both inside and out. Frankly, it was a 'dump!' Past Presidents did not take care of it.” The president added that the columns are now in "better shape than when built in 1792." One of the bigger ongoing projects spearheaded by the president is for his “Great National Security Facility and Ballroom.” Announced in July 2025, the administration argued a 90,000-square-foot expansion to replace the East Wing of the White House is needed to accommodate large state dinners, diplomatic gatherings and major ceremonial events. By March 2026, Trump told reporters on board Air Force One that “the military is building a massive complex under the ballroom,” adding a bunker element to the project, which he first called a “Great National Security Facility and Ballroom” in June this year.
The demolition sparked backlash from preservationists, historians and the public, with legal challenges appearing to question if the president can alter the grounds of the White House without congressional approval. This week, Trump shared interior renderings of the White House ballroom, writing on Truth Social: "First interior renderings of the magnificent new Ballroom at the White House. Massively expensive, but free of charge to the American Taxpayer—On budget, and ahead of schedule!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
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