Key facts
- President Donald Trump is expected to announce a $22 billion renovation of Dulles Airport.
- The renovation will replace the airport's people movers with a train system.
- The project is co-financed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) and United Airlines.
- Trump's administration has also undertaken other projects in Washington, D.C., including a renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was dismantled and its offices emptied.
President Donald Trump is poised to announce a significant $22 billion overhaul of Washington Dulles International Airport. The ambitious plan aims to replace the airport's current people mover system with a modern train, alongside new walkways. This initiative is set to be co-financed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) and United Airlines, with the goal of enhancing the overall airport experience for travelers.
Beyond the Dulles project, Trump's second term has seen a series of visible changes and proposed renovations across Washington, D.C. These include a new ballroom, a proposed 250-foot arch, and a memorial garden. The administration also completed a $16 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in June, which involved painting the pool's bottom "American flag blue." However, the pool later required repairs and was drained again in July.
Earlier in his term, the Trump administration undertook a significant restructuring of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This involved freezing foreign aid, reducing staff and programs, and ultimately folding remaining functions into the State Department. This move drew criticism from former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, while administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, framed it as a cost-cutting and accountability measure, arguing USAID had strayed from its mission.
Other changes attributed to the Trump administration include the installation of portraits of Trump alongside Theodore Roosevelt in the Department of Labor building and the construction of an eight-sided fighting cage on the White House South Lawn for a UFC event.