Report: Trump Eyes Helipad for White House

U.S. President Donald Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump prior to their Marine One
Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering installing a helipad on the South Lawn as his latest White House project.

The Wall Street Journal, citing “people familiar with the plans,” first reported Sunday night that Trump is discussing plans for a helipad:

The helipad would prevent damage to the South Lawn’s grass, the people said, noting that the new VH-92A Patriot is much more powerful than decades-old VH-3D Sea King it is replacing. Both helicopters are made by Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky. It is unclear when the installation would take place.

The exhaust on the new helicopters can burn up the ground, especially in hot and dry conditions, the people said. The VH-92A can carry 6,200 pounds more than the VH-3D.

Marine One landing on the White House Lawn (Leigh Vogel/WireImage via Getty)

In a response to a comment request, White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Breitbart News, “President Trump has continued to make improvements at the White House and all around D.C. to benefit future presidents and Americans.”

Trump has undertaken a number of renovations at the White House, the most prominent being the ongoing construction of the White House ballroom on the East Wing.

Last summer, he installed two nearly 100-foot-tall flagpoles on the North and South Lawns, as well as a patio in the Rose Garden in place of the sod that once occupied that space. Most recently, he replaced the walkway of the West Wing colonnade with black granite ahead of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit last month.

His projects have not been confined solely to the White House grounds; they have taken place in and around the nation’s capital. The president is installing an “American flag blue” sealant at the bottom of the reflecting pool between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, while a Triumphal Arch to commemorate 250 years of America’s independence is proposed for Memorial Circle.

The administration is also restoring fountains all over Washington, DC, including the Meridian Hill Park fountain, which is flowing again.

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