Updated 9m ago · Politics
Trump Orders $5 Million White House Helipad Rebuild
Trump has ordered contractors to tear out and redo weeks of work on a new White House helipad, frustrated that the South Lawn's slope prevents the pad from sitting level with the horizon.
- 100-foot-wide granite presidential seal had begun taking shape before crews dismantled it.
- $5 million-plus project is funded by Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft.
- South Lawn slopes as much as 20 degrees — steeper than federal helipad guidelines recommend.
- Trump set a September completion deadline tied to a state visit from China's Xi Jinping.
Why it matters: The project exists because newer VH-92A Patriot helicopters direct exhaust downward, scorching the South Lawn grass. Sikorsky, which delivered the helicopters in 2024, agreed to fund the helipad.
- Federal guidelines allow helipads to be slightly angled for water runoff — level-with-horizon is Trump's preference, not a safety requirement.
- Neither Lockheed Martin nor Clark Construction said whether additional restart costs would be covered.
How 9 sources split on this story
Source landscape
Factuality
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Strong LeftLeftLean LeftCenterLean RightRightStrong Right
Political Bias
Coverage by lean
9 sources · 11 articles · 67% Left coverage
Center1 source
Left coverage, 6 sources: The left frames the helipad restart as one piece of a broader pattern of costly, rushed White House renovations driven by Trump's personal tastes rather than practical need.
The Independent3hTrump is already redoing his $5M White House helipad after complaining it was slanted
Raw Story3hFrustrated Trump's 'telling' White House redo sparks internet firestorm: 'Ridiculous'DKDaily Kos36mTrump’s helipad hullabaloo takes a new dumb turn
Mediaite3hTrump Reportedly Dissatisfied With Progress of Latest White House Renovation Project and Tears Up $5 million EffortTNRThe New Republic22hTrump Abruptly Changes Course on Renovation, Undoing Weeks of Work
Vox26mAll the president’s construction projectsRight2 sources
What’s next: Contractors are weighing whether to regrade the South Lawn before rebuilding the landing pad.
- Marine One is currently using the nearby Ellipse as a temporary landing zone.
- Will Lockheed Martin cover the additional costs from restarting construction?
- Can contractors regrade the lawn and complete the helipad before the September state visit?