For many Americans, the White House Rose Garden is sacred ground but right now, that hallowed space has been torn up beyond recognition.
New photos taken nearly two weeks into a contentious renovation reveal bulldozers, gravel, and construction crews dominating what was once a lush, grassy refuge just steps from the Oval Office. The redesign, initiated on June 9, is being led by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
The garden’s iconic green center has been replaced with a layer of gravel, while construction equipment sits nearby and workers move materials across the grounds.
Some greenery still remains original hedges along the edges have been preserved but the overall transformation is striking. Earlier photos show workers tearing out the limestone border added during Melania Trump’s controversial 2020 redesign to make way for a new concrete surface.
Why the changes?
Former President Trump, now 79, explained his reasoning during a March interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.
“We use the Rose Garden for press conferences, and it just doesn’t work—people fall,” he said.
“Absolutely crazy”
“The terrain can get wet, and the soft ground causes problems,” he added. “It’s tough for women in high heels it just didn’t work.”
A White House official described the project as a “restoration” intended to improve functionality while respecting tradition. Still, critics on social media were quick to slam the changes.
“Removing Kennedy’s Rose Garden is like erasing part of our White House history for a patio,” one user wrote on X.
Another added, “White House Rose Garden gone. Absolutely crazy.”
The backlash mirrors the uproar Melania Trump faced during her initial Rose Garden redesign in 2020. At the time, she issued a rare public statement defending the changes, stating:
“The Rose Garden is graced with a healthy & colorful blossoming of roses.”
But not everyone was persuaded. NBC News presidential historian Michael Beschloss criticized the makeover, calling it “grim.”
And the Rose Garden isn’t the only area undergoing changes. According to the Associated Press, construction plans also include a new White House ballroom and the installation of two massive flagpoles one on the North Lawn and one on the South.
Trump has stated that he’s personally covering the costs for the renovations.
“They’ve needed flagpoles for 200 years,” he told reporters in April.
On June 18, he was seen overseeing the installation of one of the towering flagpoles, speaking with construction workers just steps from the Rose Garden.
Supporters argue the upgrades are long overdue, but critics see them as chipping away at presidential history especially the Rose Garden, which has hosted generations of iconic moments.
One thing is certain: whether it’s a concrete patio or a new ballroom for state dinners, the Trumps are once again leaving their imprint on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
