President Donald Trump gestures at the site of ongoing construction of the planned White House ballroom in Washington, D.C., May 19, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
President Donald Trump's highly publicized renovations to the White House are not just part of his obsession with remaking things in his own image, they are also a grim sign that he has no intention of actually leaving after his term ends, one former congressman argued for The Hill.
In a new piece published Wednesday morning, a Democrat who served in the House from 2001 to 2017, said that Trump's efforts to sow doubt about election integrity is part of a larger scheme to create the pretense for contesting future results that do not go his way. This, the ex-lawmaker contended, very much includes the coming midterms, but also the 2028 presidential race, which goes hand-in-hand with his expanding "portfolio" of White House renovations.
Israel highlighted Trump's most recently announced addition: a helipad on the South Lawn. This is just the latest project the president is pushing forward with for the presidential residence, joining "the big, beautiful ballroom; the trendy new patio paved where portions of the Rose Garden once bloomed; and a refurbished bathroom off of the Lincoln bedroom featuring floor-to-ceiling black and white Statuary marble and gold fixtures."
Taken altogether, Israel argued, it certainly seems like Trump is remaking the White House into a place he plans to stay in for the long haul.
"These are not exactly the signs of a tenant counting down the months until his lease expires on Jan. 20, 2029," Israel wrote. "Given Trump’s affection for princely habitats adorned in gold, one might expect him to be planning his next phase of post-presidential residences in New York, Florida… maybe even Scotland. Instead, he appears intent on making the White House fit for a king, or perhaps a crown prince."
He continued: "The election rhetoric and the royal renovations may seem unrelated. Together, however, they reflect an administration keen on treating democratic norms as temporary inconveniences, and presidential power as a permanent possession."
Israel added that he has personally "resisted theories that Trump could invalidate enough midterm results to preserve his House majority, or somehow extend his own presidency," dismissing such ideas as conspiracies and expressing faith that American institutions could hold back such a power grab. He warned, however, that history "not to confuse institutional endurance with institutional invincibility."
"There are several 'flashpoints' which Trump could exploit during the midterms," Israel continued. "He could deploy federal forces to polling places in certain swing districts to coerce and intimidate. His administration could attempt to seize and invalidate ballots in targeted districts. He could pressure friendly Republican governors in purple states, as he did after the 2020 election, to fish for additional votes. He could lean on Republican congressional allies to manipulate — or even disregard — the rules for governing the seating of new members on Jan. 3, 2027.
He added: "He does not necessarily need a neat, definitive victory. He needs constitutional chaos: competing claims, disputed ballots, emergency court filings. Just enough uncertainty to allow the full weight of his presidential thumb on the scales. The administration and its enablers have built the scaffolding on which democracy will hang."