President Donald Trump is replacing the White House’s historical Rose Garden grass with pavement, and critics on social media aren’t holding back criticism.
Featured VideoConstruction crews began tearing up the White House Rose Garden earlier this week as part of Donald Trump’s vision for a more “practical” outdoor space. The grass is being removed and replaced with paving stones, transforming the iconic garden into what critics are calling a “Mar-a-Lago-style patio.”
The National Park Service, which manages the White House grounds, confirmed its employees began the project Monday. According to a White House official who spoke anonymously to the Associated Press, the job is expected to take about two months and wrap up by early August.
Despite the backlash, Trump remained unapologetic. “They’ve needed flagpoles for 200 years,” he told reporters, describing plans for towering American flags on both sides of the newly paved area. He added, “We’re putting up a beautiful, almost 100-foot-tall American flag on this side, and another one on the other side — top-of-the-line, paid for by Trump.”
AdvertisementDuring a March appearance on The Laura Ingraham Show, he explained that the grass “just doesn’t work.” He claimed the lawn often became waterlogged during events and complained about women in high heels sinking into it. “We use it for press conferences and it doesn’t work,” he said. “People fall into the wet grass.”
Internet reacts to Trump’s Rose Garden “makeover”
Although the rest of the garden will remain unchanged, critics weren’t impressed. Across X, formerly known as Twitter, users condemned what they saw as yet another attempt by Trump to imprint his personal brand on a national landmark.
Advertisement“We’ve got money to bulldoze the White House Rose Garden and turn it into a Mar-a-Lago-style patio, but we can’t pay for cancer research for kids or make sure veterans aren’t living off food stamps,” tweeted Democratic strategist Mike Nellis. He also slammed Trump’s defenders for noting the project was privately funded.
“I love how people keep pointing out that private donations paid for it—not the government. I don’t give a sh*t. The issue is this administration’s priorities. Trump thinks it’s fine to bulldoze the Rose Garden to build a patio so he can relax outside, while doing nothing to improve your life. That’s the criticism.”
AdvertisementThis isn’t the first time Trump’s gardening decisions sparked fury. In 2020, Melania Trump faced criticism online after removing historic trees and flowers while redesigning the Rose Garden.
What else is Trump changing?
The Rose Garden makeover might be just the beginning. Trump recently announced plans to construct a $100 million ballroom on the White House grounds. “Compliments of a man known as Donald J. Trump,” he wrote on Truth Social. He claimed that only he had the experience to pull off such a project, promising it would be “a wonderful addition” to the presidential residence.
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