President Donald Trump, without prior congressional approval, has demolished the East Wing of the White House to construct a multimillion-dollar ballroom, remade the Rose Garden (twice), constructed an ultimate fighting cage, installed a Presidential Walk of Fame mocking his Democratic predecessors, changed the walkway to granite, refurbished the Oval Office with gold decorations, renovated the Lincoln bathroom, and now is constructing a helipad on the White House South Lawn.
The president has often boasted that his renovations will cost the taxpayers nothing — while their true cost, such as the security enhancements of his ballroom project, will reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars, and possibly $1 billion.
His latest project, the “unannounced” helipad, is being funded in part by a $5 million donation from top defense contractor Lockheed Martin, according to a report by The Washington Post. It is “intended to resolve a years-long problem with the new Marine One helicopters: They run the risk of scorching the White House’s grass.”
The total cost of the project was not disclosed, nor was the construction before it began.
“Construction crews worked into the night Monday on the White House’s South Lawn, with the project blocked off by a large fence,” the Post reported. “The helipad will be located near the South Portico, the traditional landing site for Marine One, the call sign for whichever helicopter is transporting the president, the people said.”
Retired Marine Corps Colonel Ray L’Heureux “said it appears the installation of the White House helipad was determined to be operationally necessary.”
“The new [Marine One] program is a costly one and not using the capability is bad optics all around for many reasons,” he added.
He hopes that altering the aesthetics of the White House grounds can be mitigated by painting the helipad green.
The Daily Beast reported that Trump was “secretly breaking ground on the latest desecration at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”
Trump’s many construction and renovation projects have drawn a loud, unrelenting backlash.
“Conservationists, lawmakers, government watchdogs, transparency advocates, and much of the public at large have balked as he charges ahead with building a glitzy new ballroom at the site where the building’s historic East Wing once stood,” The Daily Beast added.
