Washington, July 7, 2026
President Donald Trump on Monday said the restoration of the White House is a symbol of what he called America’s broader renewal, arguing that the country’s most recognisable building should reflect national strength, history and confidence.
Speaking from the Rose Garden, Trump devoted a significant portion of his remarks to the renovation of the White House, describing the work as both a preservation effort and a statement about the country’s future.
“We’re putting a lot of love back into the White House because, frankly, it was treated very badly,” Trump said.
The President began by explaining why the Rose Garden had recently undergone extensive changes, noting that the original lawn had become impractical due to the site’s marshy ground.
“The White House was built on a wetland, and the grass was always very wet,” he said, adding that visitors’ shoes would sink into what he described as a “quicksand pit.”
The new granite paving, he said, was designed to preserve the grounds while making the space more usable for official ceremonies.
Trump also highlighted what he called the “Presidential Walk of Fame”, stretching “from George Washington… all the way up to Trump,” alongside restoration work on the West Wing pathways and the White House’s historic columns.
He said workers had removed more than a century of accumulated paint to restore the original architectural details.
“We’ve taken about 150 years of paint off of the columns,” Trump said. “You couldn’t even see the details.”
The President argued that the project was intended not merely to modernise the White House but to preserve one of America’s most important national landmarks.
“This will happen every 200 years or so. You’ll get somebody that will bring it back,” he said.
Trump repeatedly compared the White House with historic buildings overseas, recalling visits to Windsor Castle and China’s Great Hall.
Speaking about Windsor Castle, he recounted a conversation with King Charles III about William the Conqueror, joking that perhaps the British monarch should be called “Charles the Conqueror.”
He also argued that the United States should possess ceremonial facilities equal to or surpassing those of other world powers.
“I was in the Great Hall of China recently… They have a very large ballroom… we’re going to have one that tops everything,” Trump said.
Throughout the speech, Trump portrayed the White House as more than a residence or workplace, describing it as a visible representation of the presidency itself.
“There’s no place like the Oval Office,” he said. “There’s no place like it… in terms of overall impact and everything that it represents.”
The President delivered the remarks while launching his administration’s “Trump Accounts” programme for newborn Americans, but frequently returned to the theme of restoring institutions that he believes define the country.
Trump’s latest renovation programme, including work on the Rose Garden, the grounds and a proposed new ballroom, reflects his longstanding interest in architecture and construction, themes that have frequently featured in both his business career and his presidency.(Agency)
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