Donald Trump has indicated he’s interested in using a kind of “magic paint” as part of a makeover for an office building near the White House.
His second term has already featured major work on the White House itself, including a proposed ballroom project that has been reported to carry a $400 million price tag.
Now, attention is also being directed to another nearby site: an administrative office building in the wider White House complex.
The property in question is the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), located next to the West Wing.
Originally opened in 1888, it was first known as the State, War, and Navy Building and later received National Historic Landmark status.
Today, it forms part of the White House’s broader administrative campus and accommodates multiple government offices, including the office of the Vice President.
It has also served presidents in different ways over the years. Richard Nixon, for instance, reportedly used the Oval Office largely for ceremonial purposes while keeping a separate “working office” inside the EEOB.
The building’s long-standing role in Washington, DC makes it a significant piece of federal history—and it’s that exterior that Trump has reportedly taken an interest in changing, potentially with the help of what he’s described as “magic paint.”
The EEOB is known for its granite facade, but Trump is said to be considering covering the outside in a full white finish using a silicone-based paint.
The idea follows documents submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts that described the building as having “has been largely neglected since its construction in the late 1800s”, according to CNN.
Trump discussed the possibility during a conversation with Laura Ingraham, telling Fox News in an interview last year: “I don’t even know if I’m going to do it yet.”
He also pushed back against long-running criticism of the architecture, saying: “You know it was always considered an ugly building, and it’s actually one of the most beautiful buildings ever built.”
Continuing the point, he added: “Look at that, how beautiful that is with a coat of paint. It’s all painting. Most of it’s painting. It’s cleaning and pointing and painting. It needs other work. Look at that, how beautiful that is.”
A shift to white would dramatically alter the EEOB’s current appearance, and Trump has argued the approach would enhance the building’s features, saying “what it does is it brings out all the detail”.
However, specialists have raised concerns that the specific type of coating being discussed may not be appropriate for granite—and that applying it could lead to “permanent damage”.
According to CNN, experts cautioned that “mineral silicate paints are not suited for use on granite”, because the coating may not properly adhere to the stone.
They also warned that the paint could make discoloration more obvious, noting it could leave stains that are “likely to be much more visible on paint than on the existing granite surface.