Trump shares illustration of White House construction in 1798
Trump posted a stylized historical image depicting the building of the first White House in Washington, D.C., on the eve of Independence Day weekend.
WHITE HOUSE — Donald Trump shared an illustration depicting the construction of the White House in 1798 on a Truth Social post on July 5, 2026 at 4:10 PM EST.
Here is the full post on [truthsocial]: “BUILDING THE FIRST WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON D.C.17989”
The post included a stylized watercolor-style illustration showing the White House under construction with scaffolding on both sides of the facade. Two men in late 18th-century attire examine architectural plans in the foreground, while workers handle lumber and construction materials nearby. The image bears the text “BUILDING THE FIRST WHITE HOUSE” and “WASHINGTON D.C. 1798” in banners across the top and bottom. The text “17989” in the post appears to be a typographical rendering of the year 1798.
George Washington selected the site for the White House in 1791, and the cornerstone was laid in 1792 after a design competition won by Irish-born architect James Hoban (see archives.gov). Washington personally invited Hoban to Philadelphia to enter the contest, and on Oct. 13, 1792, Washington laid the first stone of what would become the president’s residence (see dozr.com). The original plan called for a structure built entirely of stone rather than the red brick common at the time, and Aquia Creek sandstone was chosen for the job.
Scottish masons were recruited to assist with the stonework, and once the building was complete they applied a thick whitewash to seal the porous sandstone — a treatment that gave the building its famous white appearance and eventual name (see dozr.com). Construction spanned eight years, and President John Adams and his wife Abigail moved into the still-unfinished house in 1800 (see archives.gov). Every president since Adams has occupied the White House, which today contains 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces and three elevators.
Former President Donald J. Trump shared an illustration depicting the construction of the White House on Truth Social on 07/05/2026.
© copyright Zenger.News
The construction of the White House also relied on enslaved laborers. Congress had been tasked with recruiting European workers, but few volunteered to travel to what was then an undeveloped site between the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. With both Maryland and Virginia being slave-holding states, enslaved people were pressed into service to fill the labor shortage (see dozr.com).
President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the building its current name in 1901 (see archives.gov). The structure has undergone major renovations over the centuries, including Roosevelt’s 1902 overhaul that moved presidential offices to the newly built West Wing and President Harry Truman’s postwar reconstruction that dismantled everything except the outer walls.
In the last 30 days, 143 of 538 Trump posts on Truth Social fell under the topic “Uncategorized,” which includes historical references and other posts that do not align with a specific policy category.
Source: Zenger real-time database of all Truth Social posts.
Note: Chart generated on July 5, 2026 at 4:20 PM EST
Source: Zenger analysis real-time database of all Truth Social posts
Note: Table generated on July 5, 2026 at 4:20 PM EST