White House under renovation
Repair crews get to work while president is on vacation
When the president is away, the renovators come to play.
The West Wing is undergoing renovation over the next couple of weeks while President Trump vacations in Bedminster, N.J.
On the list of repairs: the replacement of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, as well as restoration of the South Portico’s steps and updates to the Navy mess kitchen and the lower lobby, Trump spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said last week.
During the renovations, the staff has moved to the nearby executive building.
“I don’t think any of you would like to be in the West Wing on an August D.C. summer day when it’s over 100 degrees with no air conditioning,” Walters said.
Last week, Golf magazine reported that the president had said, “That White House is a real dump.”
The president called that “fake news,” though Golf stood by its story.
The installation of a new HVAC system was originally slated for 2014, The New York Times reported, but when the General Service Administration didn’t deliver an installation plan until spring 2016, the Obama White House decided to punt construction to the next administration.