President Donald Trump privately advocated for painting an ornate federal office building next to the White House with a “magic paint with silicate,” CNN has learned. But ahead of a key vote on exterior changes to the sprawling Gilded Age structure, a panel of experts is warning the so-called magic paint could be incompatible with the Eisenhower Executive Office Building’s granite exterior. Trump, who has spent significant time during his second term shaping the White House and Washington to his aesthetic taste, is proposing painting the ornate office building a bright white. CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on the groups’ findings. Guides leading tourists around the White House complex are often heard quoting the author Mark Twain, who reportedly described it as “the ugliest building in America.”

Source: CNN April 11, 2026 21:03 UTC