The Trump administration is launching a redesigned version of the White House website on Friday that it claims will save taxpayers millions of dollars every year.
A White House official told the Washington Examiner that changes to the website’s security and maintenance procedures could end up saving American taxpayers as much $3 million annually.
“The old site was a good temporary measure that allowed us to use what the previous administration had built, but it wasn’t where it needed to be in terms of providing people with content they can easily access,” the official, who declined to be named, said.
“We will save taxpayers almost $3 million per year as a result of the redesigned site,” the official continued. “The president is focused on making smart use of taxpayer dollars and we thought that the previous site was, frankly, costing far too much.”
“[The new site] adapts the U.S. web design standards and uses a style that is clean, simple and presidential,” they added.
The new website will be “cleaner,” according to the official, and contain improved search functions and policy sections. It will also have updated cybersecurity features meant to deter hackers.
A White House spokesperson estimated the annual cost of the current White House website at upwards of $6 million.
“We are now saving more than 60 percent of that number per year,” the spokesperson said.
In January, the Trump administration faced criticism when it deleted the Spanish-language section of its website. In July, the White House said that improving the English-language section was a priority.
“The priority remains to improve the English language website,” White House director of media affairs Helen Aguirre Ferré said at the time.
The White House did not immediately respond for a request for clarification as to whether the Spanish-language section would be part of Friday’s relaunch.