Trump Proposes 8-Foot White House Fences as Security Threats Spur Lafayette Square Overhaul
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 10
Trump Proposes 8-Foot White House Fences as Security Threats Spur Lafayette Square Overhaul
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 10
Summary
Two administration options would install permanent 8- to 9-foot fences around Lafayette Square and at parts of Pennsylvania Avenue, letting officials quickly seal off pedestrian areas near the White House.
The proposal cites repeated threats to President Donald Trump, including an April shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner, and says loose Lafayette Square pavers could be used as projectiles during unrest.
Next year’s phased rollout is under review by the Commission of Fine Arts, while the White House and Secret Service are also weighing new gates at 15th and 17th streets to close access in front of the White House.
Eleanor Holmes Norton said she will introduce legislation to block the fencing, and activists and preservation groups warned it would chill protests and further restrict public access to a symbolic civic space.
The push revives ideas debated after protesters breached temporary barriers in 2020 and extends a long-running tension between White House security and public visibility on Pennsylvania Avenue.