Trump turns to White House columns for next renovation
President Donald Trump has turned his latest White House construction focus to the North Portico's iconic white house columns, where crews hung printed tarps over scaffolding Thursday as officials describe standard stone and plaster restoration—not a column redesign—amid a broader renovation push across the executive mansion.
Key Takeaways
- Large tarps printed with column images went up on the North Portico Thursday morning, covering scaffolding in place for days.
- A White House official told CNN the work is standard restoration to repair stones in the columns.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Trump ordered repairs after spotting door damage while greeting world leaders.
- Trump told reporters workers stripped roughly 150 years of paint from columns he said were in very bad shape.
- The project runs alongside other Trump-driven builds, including a ballroom and a South Lawn helipad.
What's happening to the White House columns?
Scaffolding and drapes went up around the North Portico before crews hung full tarps on Thursday, according to Forbes. The coverings are printed with images of the columns they conceal, masking workers conducting repairs on one of the nation's most recognizable façades.
The North Portico is the covered front entrance where the president and first lady traditionally greet visiting heads of state and other official guests, according to the National Park Service and the White House. WJLA reports that questions spread on social media after scaffolding and a large draping appeared around the entrance.
Why did Trump push for column repairs now?
Trump told reporters this week that construction workers have taken about 150 years of paint off of the columns and redid them, saying they were in very bad shape and treated very badly by a lot of presidents. The comments came as the administration ramps up construction and repair projects across Washington, D.C.
On Katie Miller's podcast, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Trump noticed wear during official arrivals. President Trump comes out to greet a world leader, sees door dings in the pillars, and says look at all this stuff that needs to be repaired, Burgum recounted. Burgum said crews are restoring plaster at the door level and all the way up to the crowns, describing the effort as historic renovation work that should be finished very quickly.
Are the columns being replaced or just restored?
White House officials frame the project as maintenance, not a makeover. A White House official told CNN the North Portico is undergoing standard restoration work to repair stones in the columns, one of several concurrent construction projects at the White House and across the capital. The White House has not released details about the full scope of the work or its cost.
Public attention grew as the tarps went up, but Burgum's explanation points to targeted plaster and stone repairs tied to everyday wear from ceremonial use at the main entrance. For readers following how landmark institutions evolve under political leadership, the North Portico work adds another chapter in our Future Tech and AI Wonders coverage of design, infrastructure, and presidential ambition.
How does this fit Trump's broader construction push?
The column restoration is one piece of a wider building agenda. Trump has also embarked on a controversial ballroom project that began with East Wing demolition earlier this year. The Washington Post reported the ballroom is expected to cost about 600 million dollars, with more than half coming from taxpayer money.
Contractors also began work on a previously unannounced South Lawn helipad last week. Records obtained by the Washington Post show the White House sped up the 13 million dollar project and added 875,000 dollars ahead of an upcoming state visit. The visiting leader is not named, but the Post reported it likely refers to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is expected in September.