Crews Remove Granite Seal From New White House Helipad
Photos taken Wednesday show workers jackhammering the landing pad where a presidential seal was visible last week, signaling possible delays to the Marine One project.
Construction crews at the White House have taken apart the massive granite seal that was to serve as the landing spot for Marine One, a sign of potential delays in the new helipad project.
Photos captured by The Associated Press on Wednesday show workers using a jackhammer on the helipad, which no longer carries the dark gray trim of a presidential seal that was visible last week. It was unclear why the seal was being removed. The removal was first reported by The Washington Post.
The White House said it is continuing to make improvements as part of efforts to best match the needs of the building and its grounds.
"For years, the White House has desperately needed a proper helipad on White House grounds that will allow the president to land safely and also protect the beautiful South Lawn grass from the fierce exhaust fumes of the incredible Marine One," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said Wednesday. "Thanks to President Trump, the White House has never looked better, and it will only continue to get better under his leadership."
President Donald Trump has said the helipad is needed because new helicopters in the Marine One fleet are so powerful they rip out the South Lawn grass. The aircraft, built by Sikorsky Aircraft, debuted under then-President Joe Biden in 2024, but their use has been limited because their exhaust vents aim heat downward, posing a risk to the lawn.
Describing the project at length during an Oval Office appearance last month, Trump said the helipad would be made of carved granite and called it a "beautiful thing." He said Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, would pay for the work, which he estimated would cost up to $6 million. Lockheed referred comment on the construction to the White House.
Trump said using granite rather than concrete was his suggestion, and that the landing pad could also be used for other White House events, such as press conferences.
The helipad is one of a long list of renovations Trump has undertaken in his second term, including a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, a Rose Garden paved over with stone, a new marbled interior in the Palm Room and an Oval Office that continues to add gilded decorations.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
