US Edition
White House Rose Garden Starts to Look Like Mar-a-Lago
WASHINGTON, D.C., AUG 7 – The Rose Garden's grass was replaced with stone paving and about a dozen yellow-and-white striped umbrellas were installed, reflecting Mar-a-Lago's design, officials said.
- The White House Rose Garden was revamped in late July 2025, replacing its iconic grass with a white stone patio featuring yellow-striped umbrellas and deck-style tables.
- President Trump initiated the redesign to create a more practical space resembling the patio at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for better formal event hosting.
- This overhaul follows a history of Rose Garden redesigns, including its first establishment in 1913 and the modern iteration by Jacqueline Kennedy and Rachel Lambert Mellon in 1961.
- Trump described the new patio as "a beautiful white stone" reflecting heat, while critics called it a "cold, hard expanse" stripping the garden's historic charm and resembling a "tacky" European palace.
- The renovation has ignited debate over maintaining historical integrity, with some expressing hope for the garden’s eventual restoration, while Trump intends to add significant expansions to the White House east wing, including a ballroom project valued at around $200 million.
12 Articles
12 Articles
'Human wrecking ball' Trump wrecking more than White House scenery: critic
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd says Trump is imposing his “garish” rococo gold tastes upon more than just the local décor.“Trump has long been a human wrecking ball, but now his chaos has splattered onto the usually serene White House,” said Dowd. “He’s obsessively terraforming the place to be an extension of his attention-crazed id.”Dowd describes Trump’s recent makeover of the Kennedy Rose Garden as the “Brutalist Rose Garden renovation…
Amid Rose Garden pave-over, Pittsfield's Kit and Evan Dobelle offer insights on White House changes
As drastic design changes continue at the White House, former Carter administration officials Kit and Evan Dobelle offer perspective on the nature of presidential aesthetics and the constant change at the Executive Mansion.
The appearance of the women - and that of some of the men - is quite striking in the somewhat stiff Washington.
In the White House Donald Trump is also the Obergärtner: Instead of lawns, there are stone slabs in the rose garden. Could it have been worse? Yes.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
