U.S President Donald Trump recently posted a video claiming that a subcontractor had ruined limestone in the recently revamped Rose Garden at the White House. Trump called the employee's move "stupid," observing that the move created an obvious 25-yard gash in the stone.
Since taking office earlier this year, Trump has presided over sweeping renovations to the White House, including renovations near the Oval Office and a $200 million building project for a new ballroom. Even the Rose Garden, traditionally seen as a sacred setting for press conferences, has undergone some extensive changes, with new paving replacing the lawn.
Trump complained in March about the garden space in an interview with Fox News' Laura Ingraham, saying the lawn was not appropriate for press conferences and that "gorgeous stone" would be more ideal.
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On Saturday, the President said that security footage verified that the damage was inflicted by a subcontractor operating a broken steel cart, which scraped against the fragile limestone. Trump instructed the replacement of the damaged stone, made the contractor financially responsible, and excluded the worker from further White House entry, labeling the incident as having been caught "cold."
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Historically, the Rose Garden harks back to First Lady Ellen Wilson, although it was heavily redesigned during the administration of President John F. Kennedy. Ohio University historian Professor Katherine Jellison commented that the Kennedys, who preferred grass lawns, may have been shocked by the radical changes.
Trump approved the new design, declaring that the garden was "much more beautiful than anybody ever had in mind" and pointing out parallels with his Mar-a-Lago resort. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that details like yellow umbrellas on the terrace of white house were imported from the same vendor as used at Mar-a-Lago.
The renovating of the Rose Garden is both a reflection of functional as well as aesthetic priorities on the part of the administration, marking a considerable break with its past landscaping while continuing as a high-profile setting for official functions.
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