President Trump toured the ornate, granite helipad under construction on the White House South Lawn with reporters, adding his signature to a piece of the stonework that could see use as soon as next month.
Commissioned following the long, highly publicized drama of the new VH-92A Patriot helicopters being unable to land at the White House without scorching the manicured grass lawn, the new helipad will be used for all helicopter movements in and out of the President’s official residence as well as for hosting events and press conferences.
It is constructed of four inch thick Californian granite and inlaid with the Presidential seal. The $5-6 million bill is reportedly being funded by Sikorsky, who manufactures the VH-92 aircraft, alongside personal donations including from President Trump.
President Trump on new White House helipad. pic.twitter.com/X1611DW4yc
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 19, 2026
“This is a helipad at the highest level. It can land any helicopter in the world, no matter how big, no matter how powerful, no matter how strong,” the President told reporters. Presumably, this means it could also accommodate the V-22 Osprey, as flown in a support role by HMX-1. The Osprey is also well known for its hot exhaust causing scorch marks and even fires on grass landing sites, and its particularly strong downdraft has destroyed less substantial helipads. While HMX-1’s V-22s do not carry the President, the ability for the type and those like it to land safely at the White House is arguably a good contingency measure for emergency scenarios.
Construction workers wait on the new helipad for President Trump to tour the new site which is under construction on the South Lawn of the White House. @POTUS pic.twitter.com/dhDMTiC5QZ
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) August 19, 2026
Used for decades to land the legacy fleet of HMX-1 helicopters and their predecessors, the White House’s South Lawn has seen a wide variety of occasions through the years. Frequently used for ceremonial occasions, most recently it controversially hosted a massive, temporary stage for the UFC Freedom 250 event. This was widely accused of causing significant damage to the lawn, though as we now know this was partially mitigated by plans for the helipad’s construction immediately afterwards. Off to the sides of the South Lawn are Presidential amenities, including a putting green, tennis courts, and swimming pool.
The grass is usually protected from damage by circular aluminium panels that could be placed on the grass ahead of a helicopter’s arrival. The skilled pilots of HMX-1 would then land the helicopter on these red dots, so that the landing gear did not damage the turf or – in wetter weather – sink into the ground.
Heat damage is a newer concern, caused by the VH-92’s exhaust gases from the main engines and the auxiliary power unit (APU). While the VH-92 commenced Presidential service during President Biden’s term in office, this issue meant that helicopter transport to and from the White House itself was still primarily handled by the VH-3D Sea King and VH-60N White Hawk.
Completion of the new helipad could be achieved as soon as next month, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the White House on Sept. 24. Construction was apparently delayed after initial construction began when President Trump pushed for a redesign that involved additional ground work.
Exclusive: President Trump has directed contractors to redo weeks of work on his planned White House helipad, according to people who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Trump has made the helipad a priority, but was dissatisfied with the results. https://t.co/Tu3Qv4DvR8 pic.twitter.com/cZC1htx0hd
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 5, 2026
Trump claims that attempts to build a dedicated helipad at the White House had been made for decades but had not made progress until now. Most Presidents assume a role closer to a caretaker when occupying the White House, and are reluctant to make significant permanent changes to the structure or the grounds unless absolutely necessary. President Trump, however – at least in his current, second term – has appeared to feel much less bound to such traditions.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The entire White House East Wing has been demolished as Trump moves forward with ballroom construction, AP photos show.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin pic.twitter.com/MzV00mTN2V
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) October 23, 2025
With the covering over of the famous Rose Garden early in his term, as well as the complete demolition of the White House’s East Wing in favor of a lavish, controversial new ballroom (and, underneath, a new Presidential bunker), the addition of a granite helipad is certain to be one of the less unpopular changes. As Trump remarked of the solid stone pad, “this will be here long after we’re gone, no matter what happens with the world, this is not moving.”
