President Donald Trump is in the news again, but this time it’s for two tall flagpoles he paid to have placed on the White House lawns as opposed to a policy announcement or political blunder.
Currently standing on both the North and South lawns, the looming 88-foot poles have been unveiled in time for Trump’s Salute to America event in Des Moines, Iowa.
“Did anybody see the beautiful flag I put up in front of the White House?” Trump said with a broad grin as he kicked off the America250 celebrations. “I actually put two up. I put one in the front and one in the back. I didn’t want to go too crazy. I thought that would be enough,” he went on. “They’re about as big as you can get. We’re proud of it.”
The president pointed out the critical role of the flags as symbols of “glorious American freedom” and asserted that the $100,000 “gift” to the American people was something that has been “always missing” from the White House.
Donald Trump’s Patriotic Flex
Trump sees the flagpoles as deeply symbolic and much more than just decorative.
At the Iowa event, he defined those tall structures as part of a year-long patriotic spectacle under the America250 banner, saying, “It’s really also a celebration of our flag.” In June, the president said that the poles would be set up admiring their “tapered, rust-proof” design and insisting that they were of “the highest quality,” with ropes inside the poles to conceal any visible hardware.
Trump said the lawn flagpoles were years in the making, although a flag and the POW/MIA flag already soar from the White House rooftop. He was in charge of the setup, which had a five-person crew raising gigantic flags in front of a happy Trump.
FLYING HIGH: American flags were hoisted on two giant flagpoles President @realdonaldtrump had installed as a gift to the White House. He said he hopes they will “proudly stand” for years to come. pic.twitter.com/VhiTj90WBE
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 19, 2025
He put on hold a press conference to ask on-site construction workers if any of the poles were undocumented, which caused backlash online. He went on to say, “These are the best poles anywhere in the country or in the world.”
At his rallies and public appearances, Trump often brings up the flagpole obsession, focusing on that he paid for it. He wrote on Truth Social, “Paid for by Trump.” The president has become fixated with what he believes to be his most patriotic (and personal) project to date, though the world’s headlines are filled with conflict and controversy.
Trump’s White House Got Rose Garden Makeover, Golden Oval Office
The flags are only one part of the White House’s wider Trumpian makeover. Trump began remodeling the historic Rose Garden earlier this year, paving over the grass to make it simpler for “women with the high heels” to walk in during press conferences. A historic saucer magnolia, one of four planted in John F. Kennedy‘s honor, was apparently cut down as part of the remodels.
The elegant reinvention of the Oval Office is currently underway on the inside. Critics are comparing it to a “Russian oligarch style” since gold accents now dominate the furnishings. The visual changes are intentional and striking. Trump’s long-standing goal to customize the executive residence while also making it presidential is seen in the upgrades.
I am in tears. President Trump goes out to meet the men installing Trump’s Flagpoles and they say:
“Thanks for bringing America back again”
Trump truly saved America 🙏
— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) June 18, 2025
That is why the flagpoles serve as landmarks to Trump’s brand of Americana, both literally and figuratively. Donald Trump said, “Hopefully, they will proudly stand at both sides of the White House for many years to come!”
Donald Trump’s thing for huge flags and extravagant declarations is not going to go away any time soon, no matter whether they turn into permanent symbols or short-term spectacles.
