Washington (United States) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed that work was underway to build a “beautiful” new helipad at the White House, in his latest personally directed redesign to the iconic building.
The helipad is situated on the South Lawn, where presidents and their family for decades have been photographed strolling across the grass to board or exit awaiting “Marine One” helicopters.
The contractor has been asked to speed up work to be finished ahead of an upcoming state visit, apparently that of Chinese President Xi Jinping in September, the Washington Post reported.
“So now we’re building a helipad, beautiful helipad, and it’s got the seal of the White House on it – in granite, carved granite, it’s… really a beautiful thing,” Trump told reporters.
The landing site aims to solve problems associated with the new fleet of presidential helicopters built by Sikorsky, Trump said.
While it has been widely reported that the helicopters’ exhaust scorches grass, Trump added Monday that the airflow is so powerful, the lawn actually “gets ripped out.”
“So they landed the helicopter, and half of the grass was sitting in front of the Oval Office front door. The rest of it was scattered all over,” he said.
Sikorsky has agreed to pay for the project, Trump said, because the company felt “a little guilty” about the lawn issue.
“It’s about $5 or $6 million – they’re paying the full cost, and when I heard they were paying the cost, I went out and said, ‘let’s do a beauty, let’s not just do a piece of concrete and paint it white,’” he said.
The Post however reported a project cost of at least double – $13 million – which also includes renovations of the South Portico and adjacent driveway.
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Kind of feels like there’s not really anything to complain about here. It’s a perfectly reasonable proposal. Presidents use helicopters. This isn’t some stupid vanity project - or doesn’t appear to be - and it has practical use.
Of course, it’s Trump, so he’ll do it in the worst, most corrupt and incompetent way possible, and the whole thing will run millions over budget, result in a tonne of embezzlement and fraud, and somehow catch on fire. And by the time the fucker croaks in office it still won’t be done.
As you say the thing to complain about isnt a helipad but the second part because it will inevitably fall on taxpayers to cover the shortfall as taxpayers have also had to pay for the Qatar(?) jet to be fixed up for airforce one.
I mean, the obvious difference here being that he can’t take a helipad with him when he leaves.
Wait 'til he has it painted gold.
Somehow, it’ll grow algae too.
