Ex-White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney — who served in Donald Trump’s first term — warned Wednesday that at least one of the massive, newly-installed flagpoles at the White House could prove to be “problem.”
Mulvaney told NewsNation’s “The Hill” that the 88-foot flagpole on the South Lawn could interfere with the president’s Marine One helicopter, which departs from and lands on the same lawn.
“I imagine they considered this, they’d be landing someplace else but I’m looking at this going — as the chief of staff, who’s in charge of military operations at the White House — ‘Where are we landing the helicopter without creating an increased risk for the president of the United States?’” he said.
“I don’t know the answer to that yet.”
Both of the flagpoles including one on the North Lawn have been praised as “beautiful” by the president who — amid a rambling press conference — was asked whether any “adjustments” needed to happen in order for Marine One to continue to safely use the South Lawn.
Trump dismissed such concerns, claiming that the installation is “very far away” from the designated area for the helicopter’s departures and landings.
“We did it in conjunction with the Air Force, with everybody, everybody signed off on it,” he declared.
“We have to have it far away … you have to have a certain distance, we’re about three times that distance.”
It’s unclear what the distance is between the South Lawn flagpole and the Marine One landing area, or whether the helicopter has been cleared to continue using the lawn.
Trump has described both flagpoles as a personal “GIFT,” telling reporters Wednesday that they cost about $50,000 a piece.
HuffPost has reached out to the White House, which was not immediately available for comment.