No, of course not. The Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) is part of the White House compound in Washington, D. C. But President Donald J. Trump is upset by its gray color. He wants to create a problem where none had existed. According to an article by Brandon Fisher at Tech Times on August 8, 2026 titled Trump claims White House is above preservation law in Eisenhower paint case:
“The controversy began on November 12, 2025, when President Donald Trump appeared on Fox News and announced his intention to paint the EEOB's exterior bright white, dismissing its dark granite facade with the remark that gray is for funerals.”
Another article by Gary Fields at the Associated Press on August 18, 2026 titled Judge rules paint tests on Eisenhower Building can proceed, advancing Trump’s makeover plans for now added:
“Planners said the paint job would cost at least $7.5 million.”
Yet another article by Robert Freedman at FacilitiesDive on April 14, 2026 titled Trump plan to use ‘magic’ paint will ruin Eisenhower building, restoration experts say detailed potential problems with painting the EEOB:
The summary says that:
“ ‘Mineral silicate paints are not suited for use on granite,’ the specialists said in a Q&A prepared by preservationists seeking to stop the plan. ‘These paints do not chemically bond to granite in the manner necessary to activate their powers to strengthen and protect underlying stone.”
Their detailed Q&A describes a lack of planning:
“They say mineral silicate paints are inappropriate for granite because granite doesn’t contain calcium carbonate. ‘Mineral silicate paints are designed to chemically bond with stone that contains calcium carbonate, such as limestone, sandstone, or marble.’
Other points they raise:
Making the paint work would require the use of a primer or other acrylic bonding agent, which would undermine the advantage of the paint. ‘The barrier layer of a primer [would block] chemical bonding between paint and stone,’ they said.
The granite would need to be sanded, which would permanently alter the surface. ‘Because granite is relatively smooth and non-absorbent, every surface of the … granite would need to be sanded, scarified, etched, or otherwise abraded,’ they said.
The paint wouldn’t protect the granite from deterioration. ‘At best, it acts only as a surface coating,’ they said. It ‘does not repair internal flaws, prevent cracking, or enhance the inherent durability of granite.’
It wouldn’t stop water penetration. ‘Water infiltration is driven by failings at joints, sealants, flashing, and mortar, and building movement – not by the exposed face of granite blocks,’ they said.
Discoloration would continue to be a problem. ‘Leaching and iron staining can pass through breathable coatings’ like silicate paint, they said. If the granite is painted white, as planned, staining would become even more noticeable, they said.
Removing the paint in the future would be an expensive job, and it wouldn’t be possible without damaging the granite. ‘It would require mechanical or chemical methods that further damage the stone,’ leaving a ‘hazy, filmy’ residue, they said.”
An image of the EEOB came from Wikimedia Commons.
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