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Agence France-Presse

Donald Trump made an unexpected appearance on Tuesday on a White House rooftop and joked about installing nuclear missiles at a time of escalating tensions with Russia.
The US president, flanked by bodyguards and under the protection of snipers, strolled for 20 minutes on the flat roof above the press room as he looked across to the site of his proposed new ballroom.
Asked why he was on the roof, he replied he was just “taking a little walk”.
At one point, he said he was looking at “another way to spend my money for this country”.
Quizzed about what he intended to build, he joked “nuclear missiles”, before appearing to mimic the launch of a weapon with his arm.

The United States and Russia have engaged in heated rhetoric for several days.
Trump last week ordered the repositioning of two nuclear submarines in response to remarks he deemed provocative by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.
With his planned ballroom and other projects, Trump is determined to leave an imprint on the White House, drawing inspiration from the opulent style of his private properties.
He has paved the lawn of the famous Rose Garden and adorned the Oval Office with lavish golden ornamentation.
The 79-year-old leader recently announced plans for the ballroom, in what is shaping up to be the most significant project at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in over a century.
He has vowed that he – with perhaps some help from private donors – would pay for all the work, estimated at US$200 million.

A former reality television host, Trump is known for his public appearances that are half-comical, half-provocative, delighting his supporters and providing television networks with the images they relish.
In 2015, he announced his presidential candidacy after slowly descending a golden escalator.
And during the last presidential campaign, he staged photo ops in a garbage truck cabin and served fries in a McDonald’s restaurant.
Additional reporting by Associated Press


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Donald Trump

Trump stands on White House roof, jokes about building nuclear missiles

President Donald Trump shouts to reporters as he surveys the grounds from the roof above the Colonnade that goes to the West Wing of the White House, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Reporters gather on the West Wing driveway as they wait for US President Donald Trump to appear on the roof of the White House on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

US President Donald Trump, with architect James McCrery (left), surveys the grounds from the roof above the Colonnade that goes to the West Wing of the White House on Tuesday. Photo: AP

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Ex-Russian president Dmitry Medvedev accused US President Donald Trump of engaging in a “game of ultimatums” and reminded him that Russia possessed nuclear strike capabilities of last resort. Photos: AFPF

A US Navy officer walks on the USS Minnesota submarine after it docked in Australia in February. Photo: Reuters

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The new structure will span over 90,000 sq ft and have space to seat 650 people Photo: The White House

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shows a rendering of the proposed White House ballroom. Photo: AFP

Until now, state dinners were generally held in a huge tent erected on the White House grounds. File photo: AP

The updated Rose Garden at the White House. Photo: EPA

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US President Donald Trump (left) meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan in June 2019. Photo: AP

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US President Donald Trump (left) speaks during a bilateral dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 7 while US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (right) looks on. Photo: Reuters 

Former US president Barack Obama holds his diploma and medal during the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo in 2009. Photo: Xinhua

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The US president, under the protection of snipers, made a surprise appearance as he surveyed the site for his proposed new ballroom


The US president, under the protection of snipers, made a surprise appearance as he surveyed the site for his proposed new ballroom.


Trump stands on White House roof, jokes about building nuclear missiles

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The US president, under the protection of snipers, made a surprise appearance as he surveyed the site for his proposed new ballroom

The US president, under the protection of snipers, made a surprise appearance as he surveyed the site for his proposed new ballroom