WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to add a permanent helipad to the White House South Lawn in an effort to stop the new Marine One helicopters from scorching the grass.
People familiar with the project told The Washington Post there have been long-running discussions about adding the feature to the White House grounds, though plans could still change ahead of a formal announcement.
“This is not a Trump wild idea,” one retired military officer told the outlet anonymously, adding that past officials avoided pursuing the change because of longstanding resistance to altering the historic White House grounds.
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 12: U.S. President Donald Trump boards Marine One as he departs the White House on May 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“No one wanted to invest the political capital and time in this until they had ruled out other technical mitigation options,” the retired officer said.
The new helicopters, known as the VH-92A Patriot, have exhaust vents that direct heat toward the ground, making damage to the lawn likely, according to the report.
As a result, the Marine Corps — which operates the helicopters used to transport presidents — has been unable to fully deploy them. Officials said older Marine One models, the VH-3D Sea King and the VH-60N White Hawk, are still being used even though they were supposed to be phased out three years ago.
Trump’s other major White House project, a planned ballroom, is expected to open in September 2028, the president announced on Truth Social.
According to the White House and multiple court filings, the roughly 90,000-square-foot ballroom would replace part of the East Wing and be designed to host about 1,000 guests — far larger than the current East Room, which hosts many major White House events.
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The president has repeatedly argued the ballroom is needed for both entertaining and security purposes.
