The White House lawn, the normal landing zone for the president’s helicopter, is unusable because of Trump’s construction projects.
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President Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon kicked off his new process for flying Marine One: His motorcade drove to the Ellipse, a park just south of the White House, to board the presidential helicopter.
The change adds layers of coordination and security measures to how presidents have traditionally boarded Marine One — by walking out of the White House and entering the helicopter on the mansion’s South Lawn. But the lawn has been closed to helicopters since May, when Trump began constructing an arena for a UFC cage match.
Contractors are building a new permanent helipad on the lawn that Trump wants to finish by mid-September, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit.
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The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the president for now will use a temporary landing zone in the Ellipse, a public park that is also part of the White House grounds.
Trump on Wednesday departed for an event at the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
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