Trump is still a real estate magnate, enthusiastically consumed with the finer details of construction – including the materials used inside the poles, which he says he paid for himself.

The reality of his day job, however, repeatedly cut in to Wednesday's festivities.

Trump fielded questions on Iran, Israel, immigration and protests in California.

In between, he marvelled at the process of lifting the pole, which he said cost "like $50,000".

"They put sand inside, and if they use dirt or anything else other than sand, it rots out the pole over a period of years.

"But sand, for some reason, chemically just works. It gives you flexibility and it doesn't do anything to the cask," he said as he observed the new, nearly 30m pole being put in the ground.