Donald Trump says of new White House helipad: "One thing I know how to do is build!"

Trump invited journalists to inspect a new granite landing zone on the White House South Lawn, saying the pad was installed because newer Marine One helicopters would scorch the grass. Presenting the project, he asserted that building is his specialty. He also said the pad had to be redone because the first version sat on too much of a slope, and it should be ready for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s September 24 arrival. The helipad is one part of a wider construction agenda, including a heavily criticized ballroom complex that the administration has asked the Supreme Court to allow on national security grounds. Media reports have said taxpayer funds have gone to that project, despite Trump’s private-financing claim, and its cost could reach $600 million.