Trump tours new White House helipad before Xi visit in September
What's new: Trump said Sikorsky is donating the granite helipad, which he wants finished before the Chinese leader arrives.
President Donald Trump led reporters across the White House South Lawn to showcase a new helipad under construction, part of a broader renovation push he says will modernize the presidential complex. Trump said the work is being sped up before Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the White House in late September. He also said Sikorsky, which makes the Marine One helicopters, is donating the granite helipad because exhaust from newer aircraft scorched the grass. During the tour, Trump pointed to other changes, including a rebuilt driveway and walkway in white granite and a planned $400 million ballroom that is facing legal challenges.