Donald Trump isn’t just shaking up economic and political dynamics since he took office in January 2025; he’s also making big changes to the White House. The 79-year-old golden makeover of the Oval Office has already drawn massive criticism, and he’s not stopping there! The President ordered an unexpected renovation of the Rose Garden, and we aren’t sure how Melania Trump feels about it.
The garden bordering the Oval Office and the West Wing boasted soul-satisfying greenery and flora, thus making it a very contemplative and personal space for the First Family. Over the years, the Rose Garden has served as a perfect outdoor setting for special ceremonies and media interactions.
Everything Trump touches dies. Look how Trump ruined the White House Rose Garden. Before and after pictures of his project, now nearly complete, paving over the historic space. pic.twitter.com/qHgmrv9knl
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) July 27, 2025
However, Trump decided to get rid of the green and instead got the entire area paved over in concrete. The reason? He thinks the garden was constantly soggy and inconvenient for visitors in high heels. Ironically, the President who is against women’s abortion rights is concerned that women’s feet could get dirty in a mushy lawn.
Critics have pointed out that the patio-style seating with yellow umbrellas resembles the outdoor areas of hotel pools. Meanwhile, Karoline Leavitt is trying hard to defend her boss’s bizarre attempts to turn the White House into Las Vegas.
On August 20, Leavitt interacted with the reporters and answered some questions about the Rose Garden’s controversial renovation. She confirmed that the white and yellow striped umbrellas are “literally the umberellas from Mar-a-Lago,” meaning they are the same type from the same company that furnished Trump’s Florida property.
Is Donald Trump turning the White House into Mar-a-Lago 2.0?
The president and his wife, Melania Trump, are facing backlash this week after press secretary Karoline Leavitt showed off recent renovations done to the White House Rose Garden — once a gorgeous green lawn that has… pic.twitter.com/h7NUhAkFOL
— OK! Magazine USA (@OKMagazine) August 22, 2025
A reporter then asked, “How involved was the first lady with the overall look?”
Karoline tried to avoid the question by mentioning Melania’s previous redesign of the garden back in 2020. For the unknown, Melania made major changes to the Rose Garden during the first term. The grounds were torn up and replanted, and a new irrigation system was installed. Critics commented that Melania had “destroyed” it but the White House and National Park Service explained that the makeover was necessary to preserve sustainability (via CNN).
Now, it’s one thing to replant the dying bushes, and it’s another to totally get rid of the green patch and pour cement over the ground. Melania’s involvement during the makeover was evident the last time. However, this time, nobody knows if she actually had a say in it, or if she participated in any way whatsoever.
Leavitt, in her answer, vaguely mentioned that Melania did the renovation the last time, which has “remained untouched.” However, she didn’t mention whether the First Lady agreed to have a cemented floor and hotel-like seating.
The reporter further quipped that if Melania is “cool” with the patio. Leavitt wasn’t sure, and her answer reflected the same.
“I believe so, yeah!” Leavitt said, who is otherwise very confident in answers related to Donald Trump.
A few months ago, Melania had signed the ‘Take It Down’ Act alongside her husband in the Rose Garden. And prior to that, she posted a picture of the blooming roses from the same garden. Though Melania is not very active on social media during this term, an unexpected picture of the roses from the White House reflects that she holds some sentiments about the Rose Garden.
The Rose Garden is in full bloom, showcasing a stunning array of vibrant colors and exquisite fragrances. Each variety of rose exhibits its unique beauty. #RoseGarden #WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/fhkULUJWBd
— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 6, 2025
However, she hasn’t posted anything about the renovations so far. Maybe she likes it, or maybe she doesn’t. We just believe that Melania doesn’t really care much, as she spends way too little time at the White House. Her appearance alongside her husband has been quite limited during the second term. It’s even hard to predict if she’ll be present during the official opening ceremony of the refurbished garden. But we do know, she’ll be back to New York or Mar-a-Lago before we know it.
