Donald Trump pushes $22.5 B Dulles Airport overhaul as White House horse statues spark debate

President Donald Trump announced a $5 million project to re‑gold the four bronze horse statues that flank the Lincoln Memorial Circle, part of the White House’s Arts of War and Arts of Peace. The statues were coated with 23.75‑karat gold leaf under a contract awarded to a Maryland studio without competitive bidding. Local residents called the result “tacky” and likened it to “Home Depot gold spray paint,” while some tourists praised the shine. A Washington Post‑Ipsos poll found 65 % of respondents dissatisfied with the broader White House renovation plan.

Two days later, Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy unveiled a $22.5 billion proposal to remodel Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia. The plan includes four new concourses, expanded parking, an upgraded AeroTrain, and the removal of the existing mobile‑lounge people movers, which Duffy compared to “Star Wars” vehicles. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby and other officials attended the Oval Office briefing. Trump criticized the current airport layout as “a real mess” and promoted the redesign as bipartisan.