RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed his name on one of the slabs of a new multimillion-dollar granite helipad being built on the White House South Lawn as he showcased the ongoing construction project for the first time.
"It's very exciting, very exciting, and I think it will be here for a long time," Trump told reporters as he gave them a tour and touted the project, which will feature the U.S. seal.
But questions are mounting about who is paying for the project and if taxpayers might be on the hook.
Trump announced the helipad in July from the Oval Office, and said that Sikorsky, the manufacturer of the Marine One fleet that carries the president, would pay for the build.
"They are paying for the cost of it. It's about $5 or $6 million. They're paying the full cost," Trump said at the time.
On Wednesday Trump reiterated that Sikorsky was footing much of the bill with additional "donations from numerous people, including me."
A spokesperson for Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky's parent company, told ABC News in a statement last month that its contribution was "made to the National Park Service."
They added that their work with the administration was being "guided by rigorous ethics and compliance standards."
Trump said crews were working nearly around the clock to bring the project in for a landing, starting as early as six in the morning and wrapping at midnight.
In addition to landing Marine One, the helipad would be used for when foreign dignitaries come for state visits and as a cocktail space ahead of events at the ballroom he's constructing. He has in the past said it could also be used for news conferences.
The president said his signature, and that of those leading the project, will be on the back of the head of the eagle, which is part of the U.S. seal, and would not be visible once the project is complete.
ABC News has asked the White House Historical Association whether there are any past instances of a president inscribing their own name on a project on the grounds.
The president has said the landing zone is being built to allow newer Marine One helicopters that ferry the president to make trips to the White House.
"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," he said.
Lockheed Martin delivered a new fleet of Sikorsky helicopters to the Air Force in 2024, but the White House has had to keep using the older fleet for South Lawn departures and arrivals because they burn the grass. The newer helicopters have been used at other locations.
A construction worker told the president that the helipad could be completed by "the 21st," though it was not clear if that was of August or September. Trump is slated to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept. 24.
"Oh, so we might make it for President Xi? That would be great," Trump said. He later added, "Not imperative, but it would be very nice to have it done."
He also admitted that work was delayed for a week after he asked for the helipad to be raised to account for a slope in the lawn.
"Sorry to take an extra week and a half, but lifting it up was one of the best things we've ever done, right? Trump said to the construction workers standing around him.
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