Trump's presidential bucket list

In a race against time to cement his legacy, President Trump has lined up a series of mega-projects with a single deadline — 2028 — and little room for error.Why it matters: Trump is going farther than any recent predecessor to leave a grandiose — frequently gilded — mark on the presidency, the nation's capital and the country itself.The big picture: With three years left in his term, Trump is unleashing the full force of the federal government to push ambitious assignments meant to leave a lasting imprint — if they can be delivered on time.1. A new moonshot: Trump set a 2028 target for a crewed return to the moon last month, reviving a long-delayed goal that has slipped across multiple administrations because of technical challenges, cost and shifting priorities. The existing Artemis program has roots in a President George W. Bush plan to send Americans back to the moon "no later than 2020." New NASA administrator Jared Isaacman told CNBC that he's committed to returning the U.S. to the moon before the end of Trump's second term. Trump's plan also calls for establishing a permanent moon base by 2030.2. White House ballroom: Trump's new 1,000-person ballroom on the site of the former East Wing is expected to be completed in the summer of 2028, according to a National Park Service assessment revealed in a court filing.Trump says the new ballroom is projected to cost $400 million, funded via private donations, and will span 90,000 square feet. Trump replaced the project's original architect, and preservationists are suing to block construction. Costs have already doubled since the White House first announced a $200 million price tag.3. New Air Force One: The first of two new Air Force One jets from Boeing is now expected to be delivered in mid-2028 — a timeline that is six years behind the project's original schedule.Trump's frustrations with Boeing's delays and his desire to fly in a new jet are clear. A model of the new Air Force One — with his preferred paint scheme — is a staple of the Oval Office.Those two jets are separate from the Boeing 747-8 that Trump accepted from Qatar, which is currently being retrofitted for presidential use.4. Golden Dome demo: Trump has directed his administration to have a prototype for his ambitious new missile shield project ready by 2028.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last month that "Golden Dome will produce tangible protection for this country" before Trump leaves the White House.Golden Dome echoes the Reagan-era Strategic Defense Initiative, which was labeled "Star Wars" by critics and ultimately failed.Reality check: Big government projects rarely run on schedule, no matter how much presidential pressure is applied.Defense projects, like those that make up much of this list, have an especially long history of delays and cost overruns.Major Pentagon acquisitions now take almost 12 years from the start of a program to delivery of a usable product, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.The other side: Even delivering on one of these accomplishments would leave Trump with a tangible, enduring legacy.White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston told Axios that Trump is "fully committed to delivering on every promise he made to the American people," and pointed to a sharp drop in border crossings, tax cuts and "trillions of dollars in investments to America."The bottom line: Many of Trump's priorities — think tariffs and immigration police — are being driven by executive action, leaving their long-term fate dependent on the next Oval Office occupant.But many of these projects are tied to the delivery of physical assets, making them harder for a successor to unwind.