Trump Bulldozes White House Rose Garden Lawn For Flagpole Project, Eyes $100M Ballroom

Bulldozers have started tearing up the White House Rose Garden lawn to make way for a new set of flagpoles and a Mar-a-Lago-style patio, as part of President Donald Trump’s plans to renovate the place.

Workers from the National Park Service began construction on Monday. The project is expected to be completed by mid-August, according to AP.

Trump told reporters that he is installing two “beautiful” flagpoles “paid for by Trump” because the grounds have “needed flagpoles for 200 years.” The White House already flies the American flag and the POW/MIA flag on the roof every day.

The president announced in February that he wanted to remove the lawn, which is often used for press briefings, award ceremonies, and official events. In March, he explained on Fox News that the grass was a trouble, because it made it hard for women in high heels to walk during wet weather. “The grass just, it doesn’t work,” Trump said. “We use it for press conferences and it doesn’t work because the people fall into the wet grass.”

The Rose Garden, which is located along the West Wing, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, located near the East Terrace Colonnade, were both created in 1903 and later redesigned in the 1960s for the Kennedys. Designer Rachel Lambert Mellon said President John F. Kennedy wanted the space to be suitable for official ceremonies.

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Trump has also proposed building a $100 million ballroom, which would reportedly be modeled after the one at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

Last month, a magnolia tree, which was planted outside the Oval Office to honor John F. Kennedy Jr., was removed and replaced with a smaller tree.

In 2020, First Lady Melania Trump’s renovation of the Rose Garden and Jacqueline Kennedy Garden also faced criticism, with many calling for the gardens to be restored to what they looked like earlier.

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