For many Americans, the White House Rose Garden is sacred ground — but right now, that hallowed space has been torn up beyond recognition.
And many are not thrilled about it.
New photos taken nearly two weeks into a controversial renovation project show bulldozers, gravel, and construction workers overtaking the once-grassy sanctuary just outside the Oval Office.
The changes are part of a redesign spearheaded by
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who began the latest overhaul on June 9. Continues…
What used to be the garden’s signature green center has now been replaced by a layer of gravel. Construction equipment is parked nearby, and workers have been spotted hauling materials across the grounds.
Some greenery remains — original hedges along the borders are still intact — but the transformation is dramatic. Photos from earlier in the project show the limestone border, installed during Melania’s controversial 2020 redesign, being dug up to make way for a concrete surface.
So why the sudden changes? Trump, now 79, explained his reasoning during a March interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
“You know, we use [the Rose Garden] for press conferences, and it doesn’t work because the people fall,” he said at the time.
