'Every day it's something new': Insiders claim Trump obsessed with remaking Washington

President Donald Trump’s laser focus on remodeling the White House and greater Washington, D.C. has reached unprecedented levels when compared with past administrations, according to several White House insiders and officials that spoke with Politico.

“There have always been updates and changes to the White House; this is probably the first time when there are so many at once,” said Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, speaking with Politico for a story published on Monday.

Only seven months into his second term, Trump has made a number of remodeling proposals to both the White House and the D.C., including a new $200 million White House ballroom, a revamped Rose Garden, new flag poles on the White House lawns, a $2 billion street repavement project, and dozens additions to the Oval Office, most involving gold.

And according to a White House insider, the obsession with remodeling comes up daily.

“He seems to wake up and say, what else needs to be improved?” said a White House insider to Politico, described by the outlet as someone “familiar with the president’s plan,” speaking on the condition of anonymity. “Every day, it’s something new.”

While Trump’s focus in recent weeks has largely been on his federal takeover and crime crackdown on the nation’s capital, he’s also regularly talked about making D.C. “beautified,” pledging to do so within a 12-month period.

According to two White House insiders who spoke with Politico, a large part of the fixation on having D.C. “beautified” is Trump’s desire to have said projects completed in time for the United States’ 250th anniversary, which will occur next July 4.

Daniel Abramson, a Boston University professor of European and American architecture, told Politico that he believed Trump’s obsession with remodeling came from the president’s desire for “attention and power.”

“The gilding of the Oval seems to be about creating an imperial or royal setting for the performing of the duties of the presidency and a powerful executive branch,” Abramson said. “This is clearly a president who wants the attention and power concentrated on him.”