The historic White House Rose Garden lawn is practically gone, as paving work ordered by President Donald Trump continues.
A recent image shows the renovation work continuing along the area, where the lawn has been completely removed. The photo, taken on July 1, shows the lawn covered with a blue tarp.
Previous images, however, showed the paving of the garden, with teams of workers uprooting the grass. Shortly afterwards, photos were shared of the lawn covered with what appeared to be gravel. The most recent image revealed that the garden was now completely paved.
Trump had previously stated that he would pave the Rose Garden for convenience, as the lawn was always wet and inconvenient for women wearing high heels.
The president recently oversaw the installation of two flagpoles on the lawns in front of the White House, both 100 feet high. “The White House has not been given any tender, loving care in many decades, so President Trump is taking necessary steps in order to preserve and restore the greatness and glory of ‘the People’s House'”, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said.
At present, it is not known when work on what remains of the Rose Garden will be completed. The area was designed in 1913 by Ellen Wilson, wife of President Woodrow Wilson. It was redesigned in 1961 by John F. Kennedy to host outdoor ceremonies. Since then, it has become a regular venue for various events, including receptions, press conferences, and other occasions.
First Lady Melania Trump then remodeled the garden in 2019, during her husband’s first term. The renovations sparked negative reactions at the time and led to a petition calling for the changes to be reversed.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has made some significant changes, including the transformation of the Oval Office. He added gold medallions, gilded vermeil statuettes, gold eagles, and Rococo-style mirrors.
There are also rumors that the Republican president intends to build a large ballroom in the White House, similar to the one in his mammoth residence at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida.
