White House goes glitzy

President: Plans a grandiose R3.5bn ballroom, paves Rose Garden

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From a gold-plated White House to a grandiose revamp for the capital Washington, Donald Trump is trying to leave an architectural mark like no American president has attempted for decades.

"I'm good at building things," the former property magnate said this month as he announced perhaps the biggest project of all, a huge new $200 million (about R3.5 billion) ballroom at the US executive mansion.

Trump made his fortune developing glitzy hotels and casinos branded with his name. Critics say the makeover Trump has given the White House in his second presidency is of a similar style.

Parts of it now resemble his brash Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, particularly the newly paved-over Rose Garden with its picnic tables and yellow and white umbrellas.

During Trump's first term, the British style writer, Peter York, dubbed his style "dictator chic," comparing it to that of foreign autocrats.

But Trump has also recently unveiled a grand vision for the entire US capital.

And he has explicitly tied his desire to "beautify" Washington to his recent crackdown on crime, which has seen him deploy troops in the Democratic-run city, where just two months ago he held a military parade on his birthday.