President Donald Trump's claim that he personally paid for a newly installed granite walkway outside the Oval Office is being challenged by internal federal budget documents that indicate U.S. taxpayers financed the project through the National Park Service.
The records, first obtained and reported by The Atlantic's Michael Scherer, show the replacement of the historic West Colonnade walkway cost approximately $689,232 and formed part of a broader $1.3 million renovation project funded through federal accounts. The disclosure has renewed scrutiny over administration spending priorities as the National Park Service simultaneously reduces staffing and delays hundreds of maintenance projects across the country's national parks.
The renovation centers on the covered West Colonnade passageway connecting the White House residence to the Oval Office, a route presidents have used daily since the Truman administration.
In March 2026, the administration removed the original Tennessee flagstone walkway and replaced it with polished African granite cut in Italy. The redesigned pathway includes a raised flame-finished strip intended to improve traction during wet conditions.
When CBS News White House correspondent Ed O'Keefe asked President Trump who had financed the project, the president replied after a brief pause, "Paid for by me."
According to The Atlantic, however, federal budget records attribute the funding to the National Park Service rather than private contributions from Trump.
The documents indicate the walkway represented only one portion of a broader renovation package totaling roughly $1.3 million, which also included masonry work and replacement of hardware on nearby White House doors.
The records also reference an earlier construction effort labeled "Rush project at request of POTUS."
According to The Atlantic, the National Park Service spent an additional $347,503 replacing stucco along the West Colonnade wall, a project that reportedly allowed the administration to install gold-framed displays and commemorative plaques referencing previous presidents.
The expenditures come amid a broader reallocation of National Park Service resources toward projects in Washington, D.C.
According to The Atlantic, spending within the agency's National Capital Region increased by 92% over the past year, drawing from maintenance accounts as well as more than $100 million collected through recreation fees generated primarily by national parks across the United States.
At the same time, funding for projects outside the nation's capital reportedly declined sharply.
The publication reported that spending on non-Washington projects fell by approximately $854 million during the first eight and a half months of fiscal year 2026, representing a 68% reduction. More than 900 previously approved National Park Service projects reportedly received no funding.
Among the delayed projects identified by The Atlantic were:
- A $1.5 million roof replacement at Yellowstone Center for Resources.
- A $424,000 guardrail replacement along a cliff at Colorado's Black Canyon, previously identified by park staff as a significant safety concern.
One anonymous National Park Service employee told the magazine that some parks lost as much as 70% of their approved project funding.
The employee said the reductions mean "signage and exhibits won't be improved, youth programs can't be offered, that a trail is not improved."
Emily Douce, a lobbyist with the National Parks Conservation Association, also criticized the spending priorities in comments to The Atlantic, arguing the administration was directing resources toward Washington "at the expense of parks throughout the country." She also pointed to an estimated $24 billion deferred maintenance backlog already facing the National Park Service.
The budget changes coincide with significant workforce reductions.
According to The Atlantic, the Park Service has lost nearly one-quarter of its workforce since 2025 through layoffs, early retirements and federal buyout programs. President Trump's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget would eliminate another 3,967 full-time positions, representing approximately a 31% reduction compared with 2025 staffing levels.
The report also says roughly 450 National Park Service employees from more than 200 park units have been temporarily reassigned to Washington to support events marking the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary, while their home parks continue operating with reduced staffing.
Other renovation projects around the White House continue moving forward.
According to The Atlantic, administration plans include demolition of the East Wing to make room for a new ballroom. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told the publication the project is "inextricably tied to the security of the President" and said Trump and private supporters would contribute roughly $400 million toward construction. Budget documents reviewed by the magazine also indicate that a proposed $5 million Marine One landing pad on the South Lawn would be financed through a donation from defense contractor Lockheed Martin.
The Interior Department defended its overall spending priorities, telling The Atlantic that the National Park Service remains focused on beautifying the nation's capital ahead of America's 250th anniversary celebrations while continuing to address deferred maintenance across the park system.
The White House, however, did not directly answer the magazine's questions regarding who financed the granite walkway, leaving federal budget records and the president's public statement offering sharply different accounts of who ultimately paid for the Oval Office renovation.
