Trump Proposes Painting Eisenhower Building White

President Donald Trump has proposed painting the historic Eisenhower Executive Office Building, a granite structure adjacent to the White House, in bright white using a silicate-based product known as magic paint. The plan, submitted by the Executive Office of the President to the Commission of Fine Arts, aims to address what officials describe as long-standing neglect and aesthetic mismatch with surrounding federal architecture. The commission, which advises on public buildings in Washington, D.C., is scheduled to review the proposal on April 16.

The Eisenhower Executive Office Building, completed in 1888 in the French Second Empire style, serves as office space for key presidential staff, including the Office of the Vice President, the National Security Council, and the Office of Management and Budget. The slate-gray granite facade, featuring ornate elements such as hand-painted tiles, bronze stair balusters, and stained-glass rotundas, has been designated a national historic landmark since 1969. According to the submitted design proposal, the building's exterior shows signs of staining, cracks, and abrasions from years of inadequate maintenance. The document argues that its...