President Donald Trump on Thursday took Chinese President Xi Jinping on a tour of his additions to the White House, including his new helipad.
Trump spent about 10 minutes showing Xi the new granite helipad, which the U.S. president began building in June to address a long-running problem: The new generation of Marine One helicopters runs the risk of burning the lawn.
“He’s an expert on stone, aside from many others, and he loves good granite,” Trump told reporters as he and Xi walked into the White House.
President Donald J. Trump gives President Xi a tour of the White House’s new helipad during today’s State Visit.
pic.twitter.com/XPjzi0jZbr
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 24, 2026
The Washington Post reported in July that Trump had directed workers to speed up construction of the helipad to have it completed in time for Xi’s state visit.
Trump also briefly took Xi inside the Marine One helicopter parked on the helipad.
Trump separately gave Xi a tour of the “Presidential Walk of Fame,” the West Wing walkway that Trump has renovated and installed with plaques memorializing past presidents and mocking some, such as Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, that Trump views as rivals.
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