Amid renovations on the grounds of the White House under Trump’s second presidency, the Rose Garden — considered by many a sacred ground — looks almost unrecognizable.
Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump began the alterations on June 9, with the president saying, “You know, we use [the Rose Garden] for press conferences, and it doesn’t work because the people fall.”
He added: “The terrain can be wet, and the soft ground can be an issue for some. Women, with the high heels, it just didn’t work.”
Recent photos from the area shared online show the grass center square of the Rose Garden completely gone.
Instead, there are now layers of gravel and a bunch of construction equipment nearby.
The only greenery that is still intact are the original hedges along the borders.
A White House official commented on the ongoing renovations, dubbing the process a “restoration” aimed at improving functionality and honoring tradition.
However, that’s not what the public believes the project to be. Instead, a number of people took to the social media to blast Trump and Melania.
“To remove Kennedy’s Rose Garden is removing a piece of our White House history. And for a patio,” one person posted on X.
“White House Rose Garden gone. Absolutely crazy,” another user posted.
This isn’t the first time such outrage has surfaced. Back in 2020, during Trump’s first presidency, Melania made changes to the Rose Garden.
She was forced to break her usual silence and defend her decision.
“The Rose Garden is graced with a healthy & colorful blossoming of roses,” her public statement read. “Decades of use and necessary changes made to support the modern presidency have taken a toll on the garden and have made it more difficult to appreciate the elegant symmetry of the Mellon plan,” it added.
New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow was among the critics of Melania’s changes, dubbing her vision “grim.”
According to the Associated Press, there will be other changes to the White House as well. They reported that plans are underway for a new ballroom and two giant flagpoles—one each for the North and South Lawns.
Trump bragged about covering the expenses of the renovations himself.
“They’ve needed flagpoles for 200 years,” he told reporters in April.
On June 18, Trump was spotted steps from the Rose Garden, supervising the work and talking to the construction workers.
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