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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Jonathan J. Cooper

Painting Eisenhower Building would diminish historic character of White House complex, report says

Trump - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

President Donald Trump's plan to paint a 19th-century historic landmark building next to the White House would diminish the historic character of the White House complex, the Trump administration concluded in a draft environmental assessment published Friday.

Trump has suggested the massive Eisenhower Executive Office Building be painted as part of his push to remake and beautify the nation’s capital. The plan, estimated to cost at least $7.5 million, has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture and degrade the stone.

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