Topline
The Trump administration launched a months-long project reportedly to fortify the White House’s front door, the latest construction effort happening at the White House as tarps obscure scaffolding at the North Portico.
Construction workers hung tarps outside the White House’s North Portico on Thursday. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Security upgrades to the White House’s front door come at the behest of the Secret Service and are expected to take until mid-September to complete, CNN reported.
Tarps went up on the White House’s North Portico in the late morning on Thursday, covering scaffolding that has stood for days.
A White House official told CNN the North Portico is “undergoing standard restoration work” to repair stones in the columns, one of several concurrent construction projects taking place at the White House and across Washington.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum told podcast host Katie Miller earlier this week the North Portico columns are undergoing repairs, saying the construction should be finished “very quickly.”
“President Trump comes out to greet a world leader, sees door dings in the pillars, and he says, ‘Look at all this stuff that needs to be repaired,’” Burgum told Miller.
Earlier this week, Trump told reporters construction workers have “taken about 150 years of paint off of the columns and re-did them,” saying they were “in very bad shape” and “treated very badly by a lot of presidents.”
The tarps are covering scaffolding outside the North Portico. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Workers put up a tarp to cover the scaffolding on the North Portico of the White House, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
what to watch for
The Trump administration is planning to build new fencing around the White House and nearby Lafayette Park, the Washington Post reported Friday morning, so pedestrian access can be restricted around the White House if the Secret Service determines there are security risks. The project would first need to be reviewed by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, the Post reported.
Where Else Is The White House Under Construction?
Construction crews began work on a previously unannounced helipad on the White House’s South Lawn last week. Contractor’s records obtained by the Washington Post earlier this week show the White House sped up construction on the $13 million project and added $875,000 to the bill in anticipation of an “upcoming state visit.” The visiting world leader is not named, but the Post reported it is likely referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is expected to visit in September. Trump has also embarked on a controversial project to build a White House ballroom, beginning with the demolition of the East Wing earlier this year. The project is reportedly expected to cost $600 million, more than half of which is coming from taxpayer money, the Washington Post reported.
tangent
Across D.C., tarps also stand outside the Kennedy Center, blocking the venue’s sign—which now lacks Trump’s name following a court order to remove it—from public view. The tarps have stood for nearly a month and have drawn ire from some Democrats, and a federal judge last month ordered the center to explain the purpose of the tarps by the end of July. Overhauling the Kennedy Center became one of Trump’s most controversial Washington projects, as he purged much of its board of trustees and replaced it with allies, who appointed him chair, last year. His efforts to add his name to the center and close it for years of renovations were blocked by a judge in May, and the Kennedy Center is now fighting the court order in a federal appeals court.
big number
$1.2 billion. That’s how much 18 major construction projects Trump launched across Washington, D.C., could cost, according to an estimate by the New York Times. It’s unclear how much of this is funded by taxpayers, but the Times reported a White House official suggested taxpayer money would be used for most of these projects.
key background
Trump launched an effort to remodel major landmarks of Washington, D.C., in his second term, including a botched restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool—which has refilled with algae and led to criminal charges for multiple people for alleged vandalism. Elsewhere in Washington, Trump has also remodeled the White House’s Rose Garden and several rooms in the building, and he launched a $17 million renovation of Lafayette Park. Trump has also proposed building a 250-foot arch in Washington, but the potential project is facing a challenge from Democratic lawmakers who say Trump needs approval from Congress.
further reading
As America Turns 250, Washington, D.C. Is Under Construction (Forbes)
Funding for Trump’s Construction Spree Is Murky. Here’s What We Found Out. (New York Times)