Focus on the BIG picture.
Monday, Jan 12, 2026
Outside the box.
Trump Aide Says King Charles Could Encounter Porta-Potties During Potential U.S. Visit Amid White House Renovations
With state visit planning underway, a senior White House official warns that ongoing construction may mean temporary facilities for royal guests on the South Lawn
A senior White House official has indicated that if King Charles III visits the United States this spring, the British monarch might encounter temporary facilities including porta-potties during official engagements due to extensive renovations at the White House.
As planning continues for a likely state visit in April 2026 to coincide with America’s two hundred and fiftieth anniversary celebrations, logistical challenges have emerged because the East Wing — traditionally used for state events — is being demolished to make way for a new grand ballroom.
At a recent meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, White House staff secretary Will Scharf said that, absent fully finished permanent facilities, visiting dignitaries including the King and Queen Camilla may be hosted in large tents on the South Lawn with portable restrooms nearby.
“When the president of the United States of America flies to the United Kingdom, he’s hosted at Windsor Castle,” Mr. Scharf said.
“And when, next year, the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland comes to the United States, more likely than not, he will be hosted in a tent on the South Lawn with porta-potties.
That, to me, is not a good look for the United States of America.”
Advanced discussions between the White House and British officials are underway for the King’s visit, a reciprocal engagement following King Charles’s hosting of President Trump and the first lady during a high-profile state visit to the United Kingdom in September 2025. Recent reports describe preparations for ceremonial events, though the extensive construction work and temporary relocation of large gatherings outdoors have raised questions about the guest experience and the image it projects.
Officials have defended the renovation project as a long-term investment to enhance the White House’s capacity for state functions, with plans for a ninety-thousand-square-foot ballroom that will eventually eliminate the need for tented events and temporary facilities.
Nonetheless, the current state of affairs reflects the tension between hosting world leaders with full ceremonial splendour and managing significant infrastructure upgrades at the heart of American diplomacy.
As planning continues for a likely state visit in April 2026 to coincide with America’s two hundred and fiftieth anniversary celebrations, logistical challenges have emerged because the East Wing — traditionally used for state events — is being demolished to make way for a new grand ballroom.
At a recent meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, White House staff secretary Will Scharf said that, absent fully finished permanent facilities, visiting dignitaries including the King and Queen Camilla may be hosted in large tents on the South Lawn with portable restrooms nearby.
“When the president of the United States of America flies to the United Kingdom, he’s hosted at Windsor Castle,” Mr. Scharf said.
“And when, next year, the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland comes to the United States, more likely than not, he will be hosted in a tent on the South Lawn with porta-potties.
That, to me, is not a good look for the United States of America.”
Advanced discussions between the White House and British officials are underway for the King’s visit, a reciprocal engagement following King Charles’s hosting of President Trump and the first lady during a high-profile state visit to the United Kingdom in September 2025. Recent reports describe preparations for ceremonial events, though the extensive construction work and temporary relocation of large gatherings outdoors have raised questions about the guest experience and the image it projects.
Officials have defended the renovation project as a long-term investment to enhance the White House’s capacity for state functions, with plans for a ninety-thousand-square-foot ballroom that will eventually eliminate the need for tented events and temporary facilities.
Nonetheless, the current state of affairs reflects the tension between hosting world leaders with full ceremonial splendour and managing significant infrastructure upgrades at the heart of American diplomacy.
