Former President Donald Trump has called for a thorough investigation into what he describes as a “construction disaster” surrounding the costly $335 million restoration of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s chapel.

The iconic structure, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been causing problems for the Department of Defense since the renovation project kicked off in 2019. Initially intended to address various issues, the project has instead become a source of ongoing frustration.

In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, “The earlier stories are that it leaked on Day One, and that was the good part. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent.”

He went on to highlight the prolonged nature of the project, explaining that the renovation has essentially been ongoing since the chapel was originally built. The completion date is now projected for 2028, with an additional $90 million expected to be spent, bringing the total cost to $335 million.

Trump’s comments concluded with a call for accountability, urging an investigation into what he termed a “COMPLETE ARCHITECTURAL CATASTROPHE,” and expressing concern over the impact on the cadets who rely on the chapel.

The chapel has been plagued with bad luck due to short-term fixes for over six decades. 

When the restoration project began in 2019, the construction team found more asbestos than anticipated. 

The project was initially budgeted to cost around $158 million, but was bumped up to $247 million once construction began. 

President Trump called for an investigation into the costly restoration of the United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel in Colorado Springs 

Trump said the chapel was a ‘complete architectural catastrophe’ and a ‘disaster construction’ in a post on Truth Social 

The chapel was built in 1962 and has had leakage problems for decades. The total budget to restore the building is $335 million 

Over the summer the Department of Defense allocated another $88 million to the project, bringing the total budget to a whopping $335 million. 

In comparison, the massive undertaking to restore the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris cost $760 million. 

The cathedral shut down after a fire in 2019, the same year the chapel closed, and has since been restored. 

Restorations for the Air Force chapel include replacing the building’s aluminum siding, repairing the steel structure, installing a new water barrier, and removing and cleaning the original 24,000 pieces of stained glass. 

‘Every piece of aluminum, replacing the dolls [stained glass pieces], organs, pews – everything is being renovated,’ the chapel’s architect, Duane Boyle, said at the time. 

‘While the true extent of the asbestos put a wrinkle in our plan, our intent is the same today when the project began: to completely restore the chapel.’ 

The chapel is an interfaith religious meeting place. Worship services include Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Buddhist services. 

The construction project was initially scheduled to be completed by next year, but has now been extended to 2028. 

The project has needed additional funds and time due to the discovery of asbestos 

Restorations for the chapel include replacing the building’s aluminum siding, repairing the steel structure and installing a new water barrier 

The Daily Mail reached out to the Air Force Academy and the White House for additional comment. 

The massive spending project is in line with Trump’s executive order from August titled, Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again. 

The president has stayed true to his real estate roots and made it a personal crusade to improve federal buildings through massive reconstruction projects.

‘It is time to update the policies guiding Federal architecture to address these problems and ensure that architects designing Federal buildings serve their clients, the American people,’ his executive order read. 

The administration emphasized the importance of maintaining classical architecture, characterized by Greek and Roman design that was expanded on during the Renaissance period. 

The order discouraged modern styles of architecture, which can be seen in courthouses in Connecticut, Tennessee, Texas, and Pennsylvania. The federal buildings will have to comply with Trump’s executive order. 

The Trump administration also announced plans this week to build an arch to honor the country’s 250th anniversary in Washington DC. 

Senior White House officials told CNN that the president came up with the idea and design for the project. 

The renovation is a massive undertaking as all 24,000 pieces of stained glass have to be removed and cleaned 

The project needed an additional $88 million last month, bringing the construction costs to almost half of what was spent to restore the Notre Dame Cathedral 

Trump has been vocal about implementing his architectural style, announcing plans last week to build an arch near the Arlington Memorial Bridge 

The arch was pitched to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary 

A senior White House official told CNN that Trump came up with the idea and design for the arch 

The proposed arch was pitched near the Arlington Memorial Bridge between the Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. 

‘Washington, DC, is the only major Western capital that lacks an arch. It’s a time-honored tradition for celebrating events and people and ideas – and also for acting as gateways to cities,’ a source familiar with the proposal told CNN. 

The White House has also been subject to a Trump makeover during his first few months of his second term.

Construction began last month on renovations to the White House ballroom, which are set to cost $200 million.  

‘I always said I was going to do something about the ballroom, because they should have one,’ the president told reporters.

‘It’ll be a great legacy project, and I think it’ll be special.’

Renderings of the renovated ballroom revealed a massive event space in the East Wing with gold finishes and a checkered marble floor. 

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters last month that the president and private donors funded the construction. 

Trump has renovated the White House, adding golden finishes to the Oval Office (Pictured: Trump speaking with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte) 

The Rose Garden also underwent a transformation under Trump, with white marble laid out to reflect his patio in Mar-a-Lago 

Renovations to the White House Ballroom are the latest example of Trump’s real estate development ventures as president 

The Rose Garden was paved over with white marble to mirror Trump’s sprawling patio at his Mar-a-Lago estate. 

The president also revamped the Oval Office with gold decorations lining the doorways. 

Two large flagpoles were erected on the White House lawns over the summer. As he watched the poles go up in June, the president told reporters: ‘I love construction.’ 

‘I know it better than anybody.’