President Donald Trump appeared at an unusual spot on Tuesday – the West Wing roof – as he hinted there could be more White House renovations up his sleeve.
The president brought an entourage with him and stepped outside the White House residence onto the roof of the Palm Room and the press briefing room – a single-story portion of the West Wing that overlooks the newly revamped Rose Garden.
‘Sir, why are you on the roof?’ a reporter yelled to the president. ‘Mr. President, what are you doing up there?’ another journalist asked.
Trump gave his trademark fist pump.
‘Taking a little walk,’ he replied.
He noted that the planned White House ballroom would be on the other side of the residence, as there are plans to add 90,000 square feet to the current East Wing, where first lady Melania Trump has her offices.
He then hinted that he could add something on top of where he was standing, making a domed gesture with his hands.
‘Something beautiful,’ he said. ‘More ways to spend my money. We’ll show you. It’s just another way to spend my money for the country.’
President Donald Trump engages with reporters from the White House roof during a ‘tour’ on Tuesday as he hinted that there could be more renovations, financed by him, announced
President Donald Trump is seen shouting to reporters from the roof of the West Wing over where the White House press briefing room is located
‘Anything I do is financed by me so you don’t have to worry, it’s contributed,’ he continued. ‘Just like my salary is contributed but nobody ever mentions that.’
Trump continued his tour and then was asked about his plans for the West Wing roof yet again.
He joked that he was building ‘nuclear missiles’ on the roof.
He then stepped back into the residence.
Trump’s appearance on the roof comes after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Thursday that the ballroom project was a go.
Construction on the East Wing will begin in September, she said, with the expected cost to be around $200 million.
Trump said he would finance all or part of the ballroom project, with the rest given by donors.
The Rose Garden project is also coming to a close.
President Donald Trump walked from the White House residence onto the one-story rooftop of a portion of the West Wing where the Palm Room and the press briefing room are located
President Donald Trump told reporters he was taking a ‘walk’ and also joked that he was installing ‘nuclear missiles’ on the roof of the press briefing room
Asked by the Daily Mail on Sunday how he thought it turned out, Trump said the project had received ‘great reviews.’
‘Yeah, we’re getting great reviews of the Rose Garden and we had to do it,’ the president said.
‘When we had a press conference you’d sink into the mud. It was grass and it was very wet, always wet and damp and wet, and if it rained it would take three, four, five days to dry out and we couldn’t use it really for the intended purpose,’ he continued.
The president took out the Rose Garden’s grassy center, making it more patio-like instead.
‘And it’s a beautiful white stone and it’s a stone that’s the same color as the White House itself,’ Trump said. ‘And because it’s very white it’s going to reflect the heat and it’s not going to be very hot.’
The patio’s drainage system resembles the American flag and the presidential seal has been stamped in the corners of the patio.
Since taking office in January, Trump has also erected two large American flags on the White House campus, on both the North and South Lawn.
