New Photos Show Latest as White House Rose Garden Is Bulldozed, Paved Over as Part of President Donald Trump’s Renovation Plan

NEED TO KNOW

• New photos show that the historic Rose Garden looks almost unrecognizable amid renovations

• President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump began their White House alterations on June 9

• The garden area is used to host press conferences, dignitaries, sports teams and special events

The historic White House Rose Garden looks almost unrecognizable as renovations are underway.

New photos reveal just how different the area looks nearly two weeks after President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump began their White House alterations on June 9.

What was once the grass center square of the Rose Garden is completely gone, as gravel now sits on top of the area, with bulldozers and other construction equipment nearby.

Other photos, which were obtained by Town and Country Magazine, show dirt being moved by bulldozers, as well as workers carrying equipment and other items to the central area.

Some greenery remains, however, as the original hedges around the Rose Garden could still be seen bordering the area.

The most recent photographs differ from images taken at the beginning of the renovations. Those photos initially showed a grassy area being dug up and parts of a limestone border — installed by Melania, 55, during her husband’s first term in office — being moved in order to lay down a concrete surface within the border.

Donald, 79, previously explained his reasoning for alerting the White House area in a March interview with Fox News’ 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.

“The terrain can be wet, and the soft ground can be an issue for some,” Trump added. “Women, with the high heels, it just didn’t work.”

At the start of the renovations, a White House official described the new construction as a “restoration” and told PEOPLE that Donald and Melania “have deep respect for the history of the White House and for the Rose Garden.”

“This restoration to the Rose Garden preserves the beauty of the space and builds on the work done in 2020, with a focus on enhancing practical use and guest experience for those attending special events,” the official added.

Still, many have criticized the new renovations, sharing their thoughts on social media.

“To remove Kennedy’s Rose Garden is removing a piece of our White House history. And for a patio,” one person wrote in a post on X.

Another said on the social media platform, “White House Rose Garden gone. Absolutely crazy.”

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Melania previously faced significant backlash when she initially redid the Rose Garden in 2020. At the time, she made a rare public statement, saying that the “Rose Garden is graced with a healthy & colorful blossoming of roses.”

The remarks came after NBC News presidential historian Michael Beschloss described her botanical vision as “grim.”

Other current White House renovations are set to include the installation of a ballroom in the White House, per the Associated Press, as well as two new flag poles on the North and South Lawns.

Donald announced in April that he would be personally funding the work, telling reporters, “They’ve needed flagpoles for 200 years,” despite the American flag and the POW/MIA flag flying atop the White House on a flagpole each day.

Read the original article on People