Trump showcases new White House helipad, touts granite and security upgrades

President Donald Trump on Wednesday gave the press a tour of the new helipad under construction on the White House South Lawn, offering a detailed defense of the project's materials and revealing new information about its security features.

Standing at the entrance to the construction site, Trump highlighted the quality of the granite being used, claiming it is rated to last a million years and can withstand 35,000 pounds per square inch of pressure. He contrasted the stone with the previous black asphalt surface, which he said was in "terrible shape" and prone to potholes and cracks.

"That stone that, if you took a hammer and you started hammering right now, all day long, you would not see where you hammered," Trump said, speaking over the sound of ongoing work. "Nature is stronger than what the human can produce."

The president also revealed that the walkway from the diplomatic entrance and a portion of the driveway have been replaced with the same granite. He said the project is expected to be used for celebrations and meetings with foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is scheduled to visit in the coming weeks.

Trump also discussed the underground ballroom, which he said includes military components such as anti-drone technology and bomb shelters. He said the structure extends five stories below ground, but declined to provide details on what is housed there, citing security concerns. He criticized a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, saying it drew unwanted attention to the project's sensitive features.

The president signed a large eagle sculpture that will be placed on the helipad, calling the overall project "very exciting" and predicting it would endure for generations. "This will be here long after we're gone," he said. "No matter what happens with the world, this is not moving."