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.
What used to be the garden’s signature green center has now been replaced by a layer of gravel.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.
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images
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.
”Absolutely crazy”
“The terrain can be wet, and the soft ground can be an issue for some,” he continued. “Women, with the high heels, it just didn’t work.”
While a White House official called the project a “restoration” aimed at improving functionality and honoring tradition, critics on social media were quick to voice their outrage.
“To remove Kennedy’s Rose Garden is removing a piece of our White House history. And for a patio,” one person wrote on X.
“White House Rose Garden gone. Absolutely crazy,” another user posted.
The backlash echoes the outcry Melania faced during her first overhaul of the garden back in 2020. At the time, she issued a rare public statement defending her decision, saying:
“The Rose Garden is graced with a healthy & colorful blossoming of roses.”
NBC News presidential historian Michael Beschloss wasn’t convinced, calling her vision “grim.” But the Rose Garden isn’t the only part of the White House under construction. According to the Associated Press, plans are underway for a new ballroom and two giant flagpoles—one each for the North and South Lawns.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Trump, for his part, has said he’s footing the bill for the updates himself.
“They’ve needed flagpoles for 200 years,” he told reporters in April.
On June 18, Trump was photographed supervising the installation of one of the massive flagpoles, speaking with construction workers just steps away from the Rose Garden itself.
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
While supporters say the updates are long overdue, others see them as erasing key pieces of presidential history — especially the Rose Garden, which has served as a backdrop for decades of iconic moments.
One thing is clear: whether it’s a concrete patio or a ballroom fit for state dinners, the Trumps are leaving their mark on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — again.
