President Trump is calling for an investigation into the soaring cost of renovations at the Air Force Academy's iconic Cadet Chapel, reports the Hill. The president has labeled the decades-old building in Colorado Springs a "CONSTRUCTION DISASTER from the time it was built in 1962," and didn't mince words in a new post on Truth Social. "The earlier stories are that it leaked on Day One, and that was the good part," Trump wrote. "Hundreds of Millions of Dollars have been spent."
The current renovation began in 2019, and the cost has now escalated to $335 million, with the project not expected to wrap until November 2028. The Hill notes that the Department of Defense in August awarded a contract worth about $88 million for the latest round of repairs to JE Dunn Construction Co. The Air Force Civil Engineer Center explained that the extra funds are necessary to fix unexpected structural issues and design conflicts that surfaced during restoration.
According to the AFCEC, the money is intended to finally make the 150-foot-tall chapel watertight and structurally sound—problems that have reportedly plagued the structure since it opened in 1962. Some 32 miles of caulk were used in a bid to cut costs during construction, notes the Gazette, and "immediately failed." The chapel is notable for its distinctive design and its multi-faith mission, housing separate chapels for Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Buddhist services, along with additional all-faith worship spaces. Despite its architectural acclaim, the building's persistent leaks and maintenance woes have become legendary. Trump, for his part, is unmoved by the building's reputation. "Very unfair to the Cadets—a complete architectural catastrophe!" he wrote.
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