President Trump inaugurated a new granite helipad Monday, but the event was not broadcast by any major television network as tensions between the White House and the news media continued to intensify.
Using a pair of gold-colored scissors, Trump cut through a red, white and blue ribbon and called the helipad “a work of art.” Construction workers who built the facility stood around him as he showcased the platform, which bears the seal of the United States and is estimated to have cost $6 million.
The White House streamed the ceremony on its social media accounts, but the running engine of Marine One, positioned behind the president, drowned out his remarks and made them inaudible.
Without a national television camera or its high-powered boom microphone, there was no recording equipment on-site to capture and relay Trump’s comments.
Earlier Monday, the television networks announced that they were suspending the TV pool—the dedicated camera operation that shares footage of presidential events with the broader press corps and media outlets worldwide—after the White House excluded CNN from taking part.
The White House responded with a statement that said: “Access changes are nothing new. What is new, however, is the sudden claim that it becomes sacred only when the outlets are friendly to the Radical Left. The rule was never ‘every outlet gets in.’ It was always ‘our side stays in.’”
Following the ribbon-cutting, Trump moved along a row of construction workers, shaking hands and thanking them before boarding the presidential helicopter.
He then flew to Joint Base Andrews, where he was scheduled to board Air Force One for a trip to New York and the UN General Assembly. Trump was also set to meet with New York City Mayor Mamdani.
Trump traveled to Andrews aboard the larger Marine One, a VH-92A Patriot. The new helipad was designed for the helicopter, which is heavier and generates more heat than its predecessor—conditions that could have damaged the grass on the South Lawn.
The helipad is the latest in a series of construction initiatives Trump has pursued during his second term. Other projects include a new ballroom, an arch and the possible demolition of the Kennedy Center.
