A construction worker is rescued from Donald Trump’s White House construction spree after they are injured on scaffolding
An emergency crew rescued a construction worker from scaffolding high above the White House’s North Portico after dispatchers received a report that a worker had been injured, according to The Washington Post.
D.C. Fire and EMS dispatchers called for a “high-angle rescue” after a construction worker was injured while scaffolding was being removed, according to publicly available emergency radio audio. The operation is used to reach people who are elevated above the ground.
Emergency personnel climbed a ladder to reach the scaffolding and lowered the worker to the ground in a Stokes basket before taking him to an ambulance, according to MS NOW. An MS NOW crew saw the man alert and responsive as he was loaded into the ambulance, which later transported him to a hospital.
The D.C. Fire and EMS Department identified the patient as an adult male construction worker with a non-life-threatening injury. The man suffered minor injuries and said it had contacted the White House for additional details.
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the worker’s condition. An ambulance and EMS crews arrived at the White House shortly after 1 p.m. and went to the North Portico, where scaffolding removal appeared to stop for the day.
The North Portico project
Workers have spent several days removing the drapes and scaffolding that covered the White House’s North Portico as President Donald Trump prepares for Chinese President Xi Jinping‘s visit later in September. Crews had worked behind the coverings for about two months to repair the portico’s tall white columns and make security-related improvements to the entrance.
Administration officials have said Trump personally pushed for repairs to the North Portico. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum described the project’s origins, saying, “President Trump comes out to greet a world leader. He sees door dings in the pillars and says, ‘Look at all this stuff. It needs to be repaired.’”
The White House said in July that the North Portico was undergoing standard renovations, including stonework and crack repairs, along with security enhancements to its doors.
Trump’s construction push
The North Portico repair is part of a broader series of construction projects Trump has pursued across the White House grounds, including work ahead of Xi’s scheduled September 24 visit.
One of the most visible projects is a new White House helipad. Trump announced that the helipad had been completed and posted a photograph on Truth Social of former President Dwight Eisenhower departing the White House in an Air Force H-13J helicopter in July 1957.
Trump wrote, “Dwight Eisenhower didn’t need a Helipad at the White House for those little Choppers, but America needs one now — Just completed and MAGNIFICENT!”
Trump had requested changes to the helipad after expressing dissatisfaction with the original design. Construction began in June, shortly after UFC fights were held on the White House’s South Lawn as part of events surrounding Trump’s 80th birthday and the Fourth of July.
Trump had previously previewed the project to reporters, saying it would look “incredible from the air and from every place else.” He also said the new surface would improve state arrivals and provide space for events and gatherings.
The finished helipad is shaped like a presidential seal and sits on the South Lawn. Trump said it would be ready for Xi’s September 24 visit. Trump had criticized the previous arrangement, in which Marine One landed directly on the grass, as “not good and very unsafe.”
The newer VH-92A helicopters used for Marine One produce more downward heat than earlier models, potentially affecting the historic lawn.
During an August 19 tour of the grounds, Trump also revealed a project to replace the White House driveway. CNN reported that the new driveway uses white granite mined in California, which Trump described as a “very special stone.” He also defended the change, saying, “This was always asphalt, which is very basic, not appropriate for a great house — for a great place like the White House.”
CNN also reported that Trump had personally been involved in an earlier decision to dismantle part of the helipad project after construction had begun. Work on the landing zone started shortly after the UFC event at the White House in June, but CNN later observed crews removing sections of the stone. Asked about the change, Trump said, “I felt it was too much slope.”
The larger renovation campaign
The North Portico, helipad and driveway projects are part of Trump’s broader construction agenda at the White House, which also includes a new ballroom and the demolition of the East Wing.
A court filing submitted in August described the ballroom complex as 65% complete, with about 250 workers involved in construction. The filing also described crews working extended hours seven days a week.
The ballroom project has drawn criticism from former administration officials and relatives of former presidents and has faced legal challenges. In a 5-4 decision last week, the Supreme Court lifted a lower court’s order blocking construction, allowing the project to proceed while the broader legal dispute continues.
Heritage Review estimated the project’s cost at roughly $400 million and reported that the Trump administration has argued in court that security concerns make the ballroom essential. The administration has pointed to security-related features included in the project as part of that argument.
The administration has also used national security concerns to defend the project, at times describing elements of the planned complex in military terms. Trump had previously expressed confidence that the courts would ultimately allow construction to proceed.
Beyond the White House grounds, the administration has also pursued other renovation and restoration projects in Washington, including work involving equestrian statues near the Lincoln Memorial, the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall and fountains and parks.