The White House North Portico is now wrapped in scaffolding as workers rehabilitate the exterior columns at President Donald Trump’s request. The work adds another visible layer to a renovation push that has steadily changed the look of the building.
The latest project has drawn attention because it sits at the center of the White House entrance, where reporters and visitors can clearly see the changes taking shape. By Thursday afternoon, the scaffolding was draped with a printed image of the columns, partly hiding the construction behind it.
The latest work at the North Portico
Trump spent about six minutes inspecting the columns when his motorcade returned from Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. On June 9, workers began stripping paint from the Ionic columns and plaster, and on June 29 a worker in a lift removed the large lantern under the White House overhang and boxed up its pieces.
This week, live television crews were set up in front of the building as loud bangs from the work echoed nearby. A White House official described the activity to CNN as “standard restoration work” and “stone repair in the columns.”
| Observed Detail | What Happened |
|---|---|
| North Portico scaffolding | Installed and later covered with a drape showing the columns |
| Paint and plaster removal | Workers began stripping both from the Ionic columns |
| Lantern under the overhang | Removed and boxed up in pieces |
Trump frames the repairs as attention to detail
Trump told supporters in the Rose Garden that “We’ve taken about 150 years of paint off of the columns, and re-did them,” then asked whether they had noticed the scaffolding. He also questioned whether former President Joe Biden would have paid attention to the columns at all.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose department oversees White House renovation and restoration projects, praised Trump’s “attention to detail and the understanding to get it done.” On The Katie Miller Podcast, Burgum said Trump notices “door dings in the pillars” and calls for repairs.
Burgum also said the project should move quickly, adding, “It’ll go very quickly. I think they’ve been up, maybe, just about 10 days now, but these guys work very quick.” The White House has not said whether more substantial changes are planned for the North Portico.
A broader renovation campaign across the White House
The column work is only the latest in a series of Trump-era changes to the White House and its grounds. Trump has already gilded the Oval Office, made changes to the Roosevelt Room and Cabinet Room, paved the Rose Garden, and demolished the East Wing to make way for a large ballroom.
He also unveiled new signage on the exterior of the Palm Room in a photo posted to social media. In that post, Trump wrote, “The newly revamped West Wing of the White House, including signage and renovated walls, maple trees, and plantings!”
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