Trump calls White House front entrance “deplorable” and vows grand restoration

Trump shared before photos of the White House main entrance, saying the building will become “a Symbol of Extraordinary Beauty and Pride” after renovations.

First Published: July 11, 2026, 1:37 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump called the front of the White House “horrible” and “deplorable” while pledging to restore the executive mansion to historic grandeur on a Truth Social post on July 11, 2026 at 4:27 PM EST (see truthsocial).

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “This is the horrible front of the White House, and it’s been like that for years. The condition is deplorable, just like our Country was when I inherited it from Sleepy Joe Biden. The Radical Left Dumocrats criticize me for spending so much time bringing our White House back to the Glory of 100 years ago — Actually, it will be far better than that, and they will not shame us for bringing our Great and Brilliant Monuments to the past and the future back to levels never seen before. This is what we are doing all over Washington, D.C., and, in different ways, with our Country, itself! The White House, as you can see in the before pictures attached, was an embarrassment. Believe it or not, these pictures were of the Main Entrance. In a short period of time, it will be a Symbol of Extraordinary Beauty and Pride! Trump”

Trump attached two photographs that he said show the condition of the White House main entrance. One image depicts a rough concrete or masonry block wall with visible mortar joints, a combed unfinished texture and scaffolding indicating active construction. Trees and a white-painted surface appear in the background. The image does not contain identifying markers that independently confirm the location as the White House.

The president blamed the previous administration of Joe Biden for the state of the building, writing that the country faced similarly poor conditions when he took office. He dismissed criticism from political opponents over the scope and expense of renovation efforts, saying the restored White House would surpass its appearance from a century ago.

Trump framed the project as part of a broader campaign to restore monuments and landmarks across Washington, D.C. He wrote that the work extends “in different ways” to the country as a whole, linking physical restoration of government buildings to his wider domestic agenda.

The post reflects a sustained focus on domestic policy. Trump has devoted 58 of his 522 Truth Social posts in the last 30 days to domestic policy topics, a Zenger analysis of a real-time database of all Truth Social posts found.

The White House has undergone periodic renovations throughout its history. The most famous overhaul took place during the Truman administration from 1948 to 1952, when workers gutted the interior and rebuilt it with a steel frame. Crews have carried out exterior stonework and facade maintenance at various intervals, though major visible construction at the main entrance remains uncommon in modern times. No official statement from the White House historical office or the General Services Administration confirmed the timeline or scope of the current renovation project.