Construction blankets White House grounds as Trump updates continue

President Donald Trump is continuing to make sweeping changes to the White House, most recently sharing an image of a golden eagle apparently mounted to the building's facade as construction work remains underway across the residence.

"A Golden Gift to the White House," Trump wrote in part on his social media platform Monday, alongside an image of a gilded eagle, which appeared to be affixed to the historic Truman Balcony overlooking the White House South Lawn.

The source of the eagle image was not immediately clear. The White House did not respond to an ABC News request for comment about the image Trump posted.

Meanwhile, other construction work appears to be underway on the building's North Portico and the South Lawn, with scaffolding erected on the mansion's facade and heavy machinery seen performing work in the back of the building.

A White House official said that the scaffolding mounted onto the north face of the White House was to facilitate standard restoration work of the stone columns but did not respond when asked about the status of the work on the South Lawn.

The so-called "claw" that overarched the UFC Octagon on the South Lawn for the "UFC Freedom 250" event on June 14 has since been dismantled. While the Trump administration previously announced that the National Park Service would partner with ScottsMiracle-Gro to help restore the grass on the lawn, which was damaged by the event, recent photographs suggest work beyond the lawn's restoration may be underway. Aerial images taken Sunday showed a large, circular, shallow ditch now dug into the grass that was not evident in previous post-fight images of the grounds.

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that the site would be home to a new helipad designed to facilitate Marine One takeoffs and landings from the South Lawn.

The White House did not respond to repeated ABC News requests for information about the construction.

The New York Times reported in May that the president expressed interest in constructing a new helipad on the South Lawn, which would measure about 100 feet in diameter and contain a depiction of the presidential seal on top. An ABC News analysis of Sunday's photo and maps of the White House show the shallow ditch measures about 100 feet in diameter, matching the plans reported by the Times.

Driving the possible construction may be the desire to finally launch the new Marine One helicopter fleet into regular service. A 2020 report from the watchdog Government Accountability Office confirmed that the Sikorsky VH-92 Patriot helicopters -- set to replace the current aging Marine One fleet -- have a tendency to scorch the lawn under certain conditions, leading to delays in the program.

President Joe Biden was the first president to fly on the updated chopper in 2024, though no flights from the new fleet have yet departed for presidential travel from the South Lawn.

The Washington Post noted that the proposed helipad was being privately funded by Lockheed Martin, the owner of Sikorsky.

Trump has overseen numerous projects changing the landscape of the White House since returning to office, including the destruction of the East Wing and construction of a ballroom in its place, the renovation of the West Wing colonnade to include black marble and a "presidential walk of fame," paving over the Rose Garden, and installing two massive American flags on the north and south lawns.

The president also directed the renovation of Lafayette Park, which sits across the street from the White House and has been closed to the public while work is underway.

"Thanks to President Trump, Lafayette Park is finally being restored to its former glory on behalf of the American people," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in response to an inquiry about the ongoing work. "While previous presidents neglected beauty and safety in our nation's capital, President Trump is restoring greatness to Washington, D.C."