Construction continues on the helipad, on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 26, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Heuer
President Donald Trump trashed the White House as a "dump" and accused his predecessors of neglect in a Sunday night post on social media.
The 80-year-old president boasted about his renovations after spending the weekend watching the Irish Open at his golf club in Doonbeg, County Clare, saying he focused on the projects in his "spare time."
"The White House was in very bad condition, both inside and out," Trump posted Sunday night. "Frankly, it was a 'dump!' Past Presidents did not take care of it."
"I love renovating it during my spare time, which is not much," he added. "The Department of Interior, and various contractors, are doing a fantastic job. Attached are pictures of BEFORE and AFTER. The exterior 'skin' of the Building was practically falling off! It is now in better shape than when built in 1792. Such an Honor to have the privilege of saving this Great Structure! More time without renovation would have destroyed our beloved White House!"
Trump ordered the demolition of the East Wing last year to make way for a massive, legally dubious ballroom. He has built a helipad on the South Lawn, paved over the Rose Garden, added numerous gold touches to the Oval Office, and spent the summer attempting to turn the Lincoln Memorial's Reflecting Pool "American Flag Blue."
New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan estimated in their recent book "Regime Change" that Trump devotes about 70 percent of his attention to his aesthetic preferences.