{"id":51185,"date":"2026-07-16T12:01:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T12:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=51185"},"modified":"2026-07-16T12:01:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T12:01:57","slug":"inside-trumps-swift-construction-of-a-white-house-helipad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=51185","title":{"rendered":"Inside Trump\u2019s Swift Construction of a White House Helipad"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n<\/p>\n

President Trump, a former real estate mogul who knows a few things about construction projects, says there is \u201cno harder zoning thing to get\u201d than a helipad. But he is building one at the White House, and building it fast.<\/p>\n

Such projects usually require a developer to navigate a complex web of zoning laws, airspace regulations and environmental impact studies, while negotiating with town councils and fighting off community pushback. Construction at the White House can often face additional hurdles.<\/p>\n

But Mr. Trump has encountered no such difficulties as he quickly proceeds with construction of a black granite helipad on the South Lawn. He has not asked Congress or any review panel, such as the Commission of Fine Arts, to approve the project.<\/p>\n

Past presidents have involved Congress and review panels in changes to the White House grounds, though Mr. Trump has asserted that he has the right to undertake major construction projects, such as a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom, without congressional approval. That project is currently the subject of litigation.<\/p>\n

A White House spokesman said in an email that \u201coperational upgrades to the White House grounds, such as the helipad installation, do not require commission reviews.\u201d<\/p>\n

Workers at the construction site of the new helipad on July 15.<\/span> Salwan Georges for The New York Times<\/span><\/p>\n

Work on the helipad \u2014 which will be 100 feet in diameter and feature a presidential seal \u2014 started last month, shortly after a makeshift stadium built to host an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight significantly damaged the South Lawn.<\/p>\n

Dana White, the U.F.C. president, said that his organization had set aside $700,000 to repair the lawn after the June 14 event. But Mr. Trump instead decided to forge ahead immediately with a helipad he had long wanted.<\/p>\n

Before any construction started.<\/span> Doug Mills\/The New York Times<\/span><\/p>\n

The U.F.C. stage being set up.<\/span> Mark Schiefelbein\/Associated Press<\/span><\/p>\n

The U.F.C. stage, fully assembled.<\/span> Pool photo by Win McNamee<\/span><\/p>\n

The helipad as work was underway.<\/span> Tom Brenner\/Associated Press<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Trump is building a helipad<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

The helipad would allow Mr. Trump to use the latest generation of Sikorsky helicopters as Marine One on White House grounds \u2014 a move multiple administrations had avoided because the new, more powerful helicopters were likely to damage the South Lawn during landing.<\/p>\n

The Navy began the search in 2010 for helicopters to replace the two models that have been used to transport the president and vice president for more than four decades \u2014 the VH-3D and the VH-60N. It purchased 23 VH-92A helicopters, including two test aircraft, at about $215 million apiece, with a total cost estimated at $5 billion, according to the Government Accountability Office.<\/p>\n

Sources: U.S. Navy, Lockheed Martin and the Naval Helicopter Association Historical Society.<\/span> The New York Times<\/span><\/p>\n

The new helicopters are produced by Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, which is building the helipad as a donation. They joined the fleet between 2014 and 2021 and underwent a period of testing. The new generation of helicopters has occasionally been known to scorch the grass with engine exhaust while landing \u2014 an issue found during a training session in September 2018.<\/p>\n

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was the first president to fly on a VH-92A, on his way to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August 2024. But no new helicopter has yet transported a president to and from the South Lawn.<\/p>\n

Marine One landed on the South Lawn grass for decades, and portable aluminum pads were rolled out to catch the wheels.<\/p>\n

A worker placing a landing pad on the South Lawn.<\/span> Nicholas Kamm\/Agence France-Presse<\/span><\/p>\n

Pilots maneuver to land the wheels on the pads.<\/span> PHC C.M. Fitzpatrick, via National Archives<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Trump said the new helicopters were \u201cmore powerful than the old ones. And when you land on the grass, it\u2019s not that the grass gets discolored, it gets ripped out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The VH-92A has two engines with more than three times the capacity of those of the VH-3D, the current Marine One model, pushing more heat to the ground.<\/p>\n

Sources: U. S. Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate and Lockheed Martin.<\/span> The New York Times<\/span><\/p>\n

Lockheed Martin, a major defense contractor, is paying for the helipad project, which Mr. Trump estimated would cost between $5 million and $6 million.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey didn\u2019t tell us how powerful these helicopters were, and they felt a little bit guilty,\u201d Mr. Trump said.<\/p>\n

According to a spokesperson for Lockheed Martin, the company has a \u201clong history of supporting projects in both the Washington, D.C., area and across the country. This specific contribution was made to the National Park Service. Our engagement with the federal government is guided by rigorous ethics and compliance standards and conducted in full accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n

More red tape for a Mar-a-Lago helipad<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

Mr. Trump is also trying to build a helipad at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. But that project is moving much more slowly than the one at the White House.<\/p>\n

The Mar-a-Lago project has been the subject of local historic preservation commission review, multiple public hearings, negotiations with town lawyers and votes by the Town Council.<\/p>\n

Because Mar-a-Lago is a historic property, any changes there must be approved by the Palm Beach Landmarks Preservation Commission, said Joanne O\u2019Connor, the town attorney for Palm Beach.<\/p>\n

Mr. Trump had installed a helipad at the resort during his first administration, but it was dismantled after he left office.<\/p>\n

Marine One landing at Mar-a-Lago in 2019.<\/span> Alamy<\/span><\/p>\n

The town is allowing Mr. Trump to build a new helipad at Mar-a-Lago but has placed limits on its use after his presidency. Any helicopter trips to or from Mar-a-Lago after he leaves office can be carried out only if approved by the Secret Service and in the event of an emergency, Ms. O\u2019Connor said. The helipad cannot be used, for instance, to facilitate a golf outing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe concern was balancing the health, safety and welfare of the president with the interests of the town residents and the quiet enjoyment of their residential property,\u201d Ms. O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n

No such review is taking place for the changes Mr. Trump is making at the White House.<\/p>\n

Mr. Trump spoke recently about the difficulty most people encounter when trying to have helipads approved at their properties.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always was lucky, I always got helipads,\u201d he said in remarks from the Oval Office. \u201cOther people don\u2019t. Very hard to get. The hardest thing to get is a helipad, OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

The South Lawn\u2019s future<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

The helipad would significantly reshape the South Lawn, which has historically hosted events and ceremonies, including the annual White House Easter Egg Roll.<\/p>\n

An orchestra playing on the South Lawn.<\/span> Robert Knudsen\/The White House, via John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum<\/span><\/p>\n

President Gerald Ford welcoming Queen Elizabeth II.<\/span> Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, via National Archives<\/span><\/p>\n

A ceremony during the Obama administration commemorating the Sept. 11 attacks.<\/span> Stephen Crowley\/The New York Times.<\/span><\/p>\n

Children participating in a White House Easter Egg Roll hosted by President Trump.<\/span> Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times<\/span><\/p>\n

A White House official said events on the South Lawn would not be affected by the new helipad and would continue as usual.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can be used for other things when helicopters aren\u2019t landing,\u201d Mr. Trump said this month. \u201cYou can have other things out there like events. You could have news conferences literally on it because it\u2019s the right size. So by doing this, we solved the problem, and we\u2019ll be able to finally retire 45-year-old helicopters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Previous administrations have prioritized preservation of the White House property over permanent changes to the South Lawn. During the Biden administration, building a helipad was not high on the president\u2019s priority list, said Andrew Bates, who served as a White House spokesman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Trump, a former real estate mogul who knows a few things about construction projects, says there is \u201cno harder zoning thing to get\u201d than a helipad. But he is building one at the White House, and building it fast. Such projects usually require a developer to navigate a complex web of zoning laws, airspace<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[5154,25010,671,9225,71,2168],"class_list":{"0":"post-51185","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-crime-justice","8":"tag-construction","9":"tag-helipad","10":"tag-house","11":"tag-swift","12":"tag-trumps","13":"tag-white"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=51185"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51185\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/51186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=51185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=51185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=51185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}