Summary
- Trump started the day with a TV interview, call with Zelenskyy.
- Then unexpectedly appeared on White House West Wing roof.
- Surveyed grounds and future site of $200M ballroom.
- Spoke with the architect, joked about funding and plans.
- The appearance lasted ~20 minutes, and drew press and security attention.
Trump climbed onto the roof above the press briefing room and west colonnade that enclose the Rose Garden late Tuesday morning after emerging from a door that led to the State Dining Room. He surveyed the rooftop and the grounds below, including the recently paved Rose Garden, for about twenty minutes.
Reporters, tipped off by the out-of-the-ordinary positioning of snipers above the Oval Office, shouted questions from below. One called out:
“Sir, why are you on the roof?”
“Taking a little walk,”
Trump shouted back.
“It’s good for your health.”
James McCrery, the architect of the recently revealed $200 million ballroom project, was among the small number of people Trump strolled with. They took their time, with Trump constantly pointing to the roof and the gardens. He repeatedly walked over to the corner closest to the press corps, cupping his hands and waved in response to queries that were yelled.
He stated that he was considering
"another way to spend my money for this country"
at one time. Trump was later questioned about what he planned to build as his time on the roof came to an end.
“Nuclear missiles,”
he joked.
Trump's impromptu rooftop stroll coincides with his efforts to make a lasting impression on what is commonly known as "The People's House."
In addition to installing enormous flagpoles on the north and south lawns to fly the American flag, he has significantly redecorated the Oval Office by adding cherubs, gilded flourishes, presidential portraits, and other artifacts. Additionally, his government declared this week that work on a huge ballroom will start in September and be completed by the conclusion of Trump's tenure in early 2029.
The White House has stated that the "small, heavily changed, and reconstructed East Wing currently sits" in the ballroom, while Trump was on the West Wing.
Although they are uncommon, presidents have occasionally stepped out onto the White House roof and even slept there.
Why did Trump choose to appear on the White House roof unexpectedly?
President Donald Trump chose to appear unexpectedly on the White House roof to take a "little walk" and personally survey ongoing and planned renovation projects on the White House grounds, including the newly paved Rose Garden and a major upcoming $200 million ballroom construction.
He emerged from a door near the State Dining Room and spent about 20 minutes viewing the rooftop and grounds below. During this time, he mentioned looking at "another way to spend my money for this country," linking his rooftop appearance to overseeing and promoting his significant White House renovation efforts, including his plan to build a large new ballroom that would replace the East Wing.
This was not a scheduled media event but rather a spontaneous inspection related to his vision to leave a legacy through these renovations.