The new Marine One helicopter is so powerful it can scorch the ground beneath it, and President Donald Trump wants to do something about it.
The president is now eyeing the installation of a permanent helipad on the South Lawn, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the plans. The move would protect the historic lawn from damage caused by the upgraded VH-92A Patriot helicopter, which runs far hotter than the decades-old aircraft it replaced.
The exhaust from the new Lockheed Martin Sikorsky helicopter can burn up the grass, particularly during hot and dry conditions, sources told the Journal. The VH-92A Patriot can carry 6,200 pounds more than the VH-3D Sea King it succeeded, making it a significantly more powerful machine. A timeline for the potential installation remains unclear.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle confirmed to Breitbart News that improvements continue across the executive mansion and surrounding areas. “President Trump has continued to make improvements at the White House and all around D.C. to benefit future presidents and Americans,” Ingle said.
The potential helipad represents just the latest in a series of ambitious renovation projects the president has undertaken since returning to office. His administration has treated the White House grounds and the nation’s capital itself as worthy of renewal, investing in both practical upgrades and patriotic displays.
The most significant ongoing project is the construction of a new White House ballroom on the East Wing. The addition promises to expand the executive residence’s capacity for state functions and ceremonial events for generations to come.
Beyond the White House fence, the president’s vision extends throughout Washington. An “American flag blue” sealant is being installed at the bottom of the reflecting pool stretching between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The patriotic touch adds symbolic meaning to one of the most visited sites in the nation’s capital.
Whether Congress or preservation authorities will weigh in on the helipad proposal remains to be seen. But if Trump’s track record on White House improvements holds, the project could move forward with the same speed that brought flagpoles, granite walkways, and flowing fountains to the capital.
