Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Botany

(78,384 posts)
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 10:40 AM Yesterday

Scaffolding Remains at White House As Trump Posts Photo of Ornate Columns

Source: Newsweek

Scaffolding has appeared around several columns on the White House's North Portico, prompting a fresh wave of speculation about whether President Donald Trump could be preparing another change to the executive mansion as his administration continues an extensive makeover of both the White House complex and wider Washington, D.C. landmarks.

Images shared on social media over the July 4 weekend showed workers standing on scaffolding erected around the White House's iconic white columns. One widely circulated post claimed Trump was planning to replace the columns entirely, fueling renewed debate over the future appearance of one of the nation's most recognizable buildings.

Snip

Questions about the columns have been circulating for months following comments from Rodney Mims Cook Jr., chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, who suggested replacing the North Portico's existing Ionic columns with more ornate Corinthian columns.

"Corinthian is the highest order [of column], and that's what our other two branches of government have," Cook told The Washington Post. "Why the White House didn't originally use them, at least on the north front, which is considered the front door, is beyond me."

The proposal immediately drew criticism from architects and historic preservation advocates, who argued that altering the column style would fundamentally change the building's appearance and historic character.









Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/scaffolding-remains-white-house-trump-posts-photo-ornate-columns-12160151



Call your Senators and Congress Critters the White House is not Trump’s property and he has to
stop fucking it up.
18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Scaffolding Remains at White House As Trump Posts Photo of Ornate Columns (Original Post) Botany Yesterday OP
Another waste of taxpayer money. Ritabert Yesterday #1
The old columns are just fine. Botany Yesterday #2
They're trying to see how fast they can bankrupt the country completely, all at Putin's demand! slightlv Yesterday #12
Doric is OK for me. gab13by13 Yesterday #3
This EuterpeThelo Yesterday #4
And to know he only got to be President because of massive cheating is galling. Botany Yesterday #6
Trump will demand that the load-bearing columns be replaced, not individually, but all at once. LudwigPastorius Yesterday #5
Trump is a cancer on America Botany Yesterday #8
Oh--and they must be solid gold. Bayard Yesterday #16
As I have baeen saying since about 2018... 2naSalit Yesterday #7
"highest order" of columns? maxsolomon Yesterday #9
Click on the link to the article and scroll down Botany Yesterday #10
Welp, it could just be maintenance. maxsolomon Yesterday #11
Watch the whole front entrance and part of the attached structure collapse like the stage at his 250th fair ChicagoTeamster Yesterday #13
Prepping for that giant "gold" eagle attached to the columns. The Madcap Yesterday #14
Once these projects start crumbling purr-rat beauty Yesterday #15
The White House is not an ornate palace. It is a place where the people's business is conducted Fla Dem 19 hrs ago #17
And we know that he'll f**k it up! Just look at the Reflecting Pool and the East Wing! Rhiannon12866 11 hrs ago #18

Botany

(78,384 posts)
2. The old columns are just fine.
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 10:55 AM
Yesterday

Last edited Mon Jul 6, 2026, 12:52 PM - Edit history (1)



Trump and his henchmen are trying to see just how much shit they can get away with.

slightlv

(8,246 posts)
12. They're trying to see how fast they can bankrupt the country completely, all at Putin's demand!
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 01:01 PM
Yesterday

gab13by13

(33,140 posts)
3. Doric is OK for me.
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 11:00 AM
Yesterday

Another no bid grift where Krasnov will choose the person who sends him the most crypto.

EuterpeThelo

(469 posts)
4. This
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 11:01 AM
Yesterday

spree of destruction is making me HEARTSICK. Besides just the colossal WASTE of OUR money that should be being used to feed the hungry, house the homeless and provide access to healthcare for we the people, it's NOT HIS! He just has to imprint his tacky, tin-pot dictator ego b.s. on EVERYTHING that should be sacred to all of us.

I cannot believe what the entire WORLD is being forced to go through simply because one effed-up family didn't love their evil spawn.

Thank the gods my mother isn't alive to see this.

Botany

(78,384 posts)
6. And to know he only got to be President because of massive cheating is galling.
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 11:32 AM
Yesterday

The White House was just fine as it was I can’t help but think that he is doing all of this hideous crap
to D.C. as a test by Stephen Miller to see just how much crap he can get away with and to grift as much
as possible. As a teen he had to go to military school to avoid going to a juvenile detention facility and
he should have been in prison for a # of crimes as an adult. We executed 2 people (the Rosenbergs)
and another (Robert Hansen FBI agent) for doing what he did with those stolen documents and now
he changed the name of America 250 to Freedom 250 and stole all the money.

LudwigPastorius

(15,323 posts)
5. Trump will demand that the load-bearing columns be replaced, not individually, but all at once.
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 11:28 AM
Yesterday

...leading to the collapse of the north portico.

Because he knows better than George Washington's hand picked architect.

Botany

(78,384 posts)
8. Trump is a cancer on America
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 12:47 PM
Yesterday

He knows more about architecture and building then Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt,*
the designer of Jackie Kennedy’s Rose Garden and Jackie’s other White House Garden (east wing),
Rachel Mellon, and the man who oversaw the construction of Jackie’s Gardens who went onto be
the head of The Brooklyn Botanical Garden.


* The East Wing



Hand Split Granite Cobbles at the door to the East Wing that Trump had removed and used as
filler material on D.C. golf courses.



2naSalit

(105,248 posts)
7. As I have baeen saying since about 2018...
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 12:41 PM
Yesterday

There's so much bad juju going on in that house that there is not enough sage on the planet to smudge it all out and we'll probably have to burn it down ourselves just to rid the world of the evil that goes on there now.

Then we can rebuild it properly.

maxsolomon

(39,517 posts)
9. "highest order" of columns?
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 12:53 PM
Yesterday

where is he getting that horseshit? "most ornate" is not equal to "highest".

I don't see any scaffolding in those pictures?

maxsolomon

(39,517 posts)
11. Welp, it could just be maintenance.
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 12:58 PM
Yesterday
?w=750&quality=80&webp=1

I hope it's just maintenance.

ChicagoTeamster

(1,549 posts)
13. Watch the whole front entrance and part of the attached structure collapse like the stage at his 250th fair
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 01:06 PM
Yesterday

purr-rat beauty

(1,715 posts)
15. Once these projects start crumbling
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 02:40 PM
Yesterday

And seeing the reflecting pool, it won't take long.....we best take the money from any and everything trump to fix it.

Fla Dem

(27,885 posts)
17. The White House is not an ornate palace. It is a place where the people's business is conducted
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 08:59 PM
19 hrs ago

and where the president and their family reside during their term in office.

Rhiannon12866

(261,814 posts)
18. And we know that he'll f**k it up! Just look at the Reflecting Pool and the East Wing!
Tue Jul 7, 2026, 04:11 AM
11 hrs ago

This is The People's House, not yours! Dammit all, why isn't he stopped before he ruins yet another historic American treasure??!!

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Scaffolding Remains at Wh...