President Trump wants to paint a famous 19th-century government building next to the White House completely white. The Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is currently gray granite, would get a full paint job as part of Trump’s plan to make Washington “more beautiful.”
This isn’t just any building renovation. The structure is a historic landmark, and Trump’s painting plan has sparked fierce opposition from historians, architects, and preservationists across the country.
“Really Bad Color”
Trump has called the building’s current gray granite a “really bad color” and wants it painted white to match the White House next door. A White House official says the granite exterior is stained and in “great disrepair,” and that cleaning it might not work.
The administration is asking federal agencies to approve either painting the entire building white or painting most of it while leaving some granite visible at the base. The National Capital Planning Commission is reviewing the proposal this week.
But experts are horrified. They argue that granite isn’t meant to be painted and that paint would actually trap moisture inside the stone, causing it to deteriorate faster. Hundreds of public comments submitted to the government overwhelmingly oppose the plan.
What’s Next
The proposal needs approval from multiple federal agencies before any painting can begin. Preservationists are fighting hard to stop it, warning that paint could permanently damage the historic building and cost taxpayers millions when problems get worse instead of better.
