President Donald Trump is spending $875,000 extra on rushed White House work. The extra cost comes from round-the-clock construction. Notably, this is ahead of a state visit, probably by President Xi Jinping.
Donald Trump reportedly adds more funds on White House construction
Contractor records reviewed by The Washington Post show that round-the-clock labor shifts pushed up costs on an ongoing $13 million construction project at the White House. The added expense stems from a compressed timeline that officials demanded with little advance notice.
The project reportedly involves a new helipad. It also stretches to nearby renovations: the South Portico and a section of the White House driveway, which crews will resurface with white stone.
Construction crews arrived on-site last Monday to begin work on the helipad. Three people with knowledge of the project claimed such a timeline. Clark Construction, the firm handling the job, acknowledged that work had started but declined to elaborate. They pointed questions instead to the White House. The White House itself declined to discuss specifics.
Donald Trump explained his reasoning to reporters Monday, saying the White House helipad addresses a mechanical problem: newer Marine One helicopters generate enough heat to damage the lawn during landings. Behind the scenes, Clark Construction scrambled to compress its own schedule. A June 12 letter and a revised project plan allege the company cut over a month from its original timeline after receiving a sudden directive to wrap up by September 17.
Neither document names the visiting dignitary. But the timing lines up: officials pushed for the faster schedule shortly after Trump extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping for a September 24 visit. To hit the new deadline, Clark’s plan called for crews working “24-hours, 7-days per week,” the documents state.
Trump has stayed closely involved in the project’s finer points. December emails between Clark and White House staff reportedly show he weighed in on how far the driveway should extend and pushed for a slight slope in the pavement to improve drainage.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
