The White House Rose Garden is one of the most well-known features of the presidential compound and came to be planted with roses in 1961, when John F. Kennedy was president. When in bloom, the Rose Garden is awash in both color and fragrance.
So when First Lady Melania Trump announced in July that she would “restore and enhance” the Rose Garden, many people were skeptical of such a move, despite promises that the updating of the space would be tasteful:
Even in the most difficult times, the @WhiteHouse Rose Garden has stood as a symbol of strength & continuity. Today, it is my pleasure to announce our plans to renew & restore this iconic space so that we preserve its history & beauty for generations to come.
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) July 27, 2020
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) July 27, 2020
On Saturday, the public was shown the result of Melania’s Rose Garden renovation, and based on early reviews, she probably should have spent her time packing up her personal belongings and moving to a deserted island (which her husband may be planning in an attempt to avoid prison), because the vast majority of those who have seen the new Rose Garden are not impressed.
To put it mildly, the current first lady only succeeded in pissing off at least half the country with her changes:
Obviously, there are far more important things to worry about than the Rose Garden, but she literally took the garden out of the garden. What a horror show.
— Markos Moulitsas (@markos) August 22, 2020
Be sure and note that the famed cherry trees have been removed. Those have been there for centuries and were planted to honor the first president and father of the country, George Washington:
They chopped down the cherry trees?!
A staple of the White House grounds for centuries, honoring George Washington. https://t.co/DTc52mIDgv
— Travis Akers (@travisakers) August 22, 2020
Taking out the cherry trees and replacing them with a sidewalk does not seem like an improvement https://t.co/D3MlpHuI81
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 22, 2020
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot https://t.co/ymWTB60Zof
— Will Bunch Sign Up For My Newsletter (@Will_Bunch) August 22, 2020
The most disgusting abuse of the @WhiteHouse
Zero respect for anything.
Is this so she can walk with her “Fuck me pumps”? High-heeled shoeHigh-heeled shoe#HatchAct Coming from a rose garden near you.@POTUS @realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS
#SaveEVERYTHINGFromPOTUS— realNanmaJ (@j_nanma) August 22, 2020
And where are the damn roses? Did they flee when the cherry trees were eliminated, fearful that they’d be next?
Yup. They removed the roses from the Rose Garden.
Seems about right for these dickheads.— Marc Mitchell (@MarcMitchell6) August 22, 2020
It’s not really about the trees, sidewalk, or roses and other flowers. It’s because Bunny Mellon designed it with Jackie Kennedy who built it and Melania sees herself as Jackie and needed to make her mark on something Jackie created.
— Murrow’s Girl (@MadelineTriebw3) August 22, 2020
The once sacred and hallowed has now been desecrated by people who think solid gold toilets are “tasteful.”
It’s difficult to fully describe exactly what Melania has done to the Rose Garden. If only there was one word that could accurately sum up her changes.
Let’s try this one: Clusterfuck.
It is no longer colorful but neat, tidy and colorless. Some what reflective of the present 1st lady. I guess she consulted no one about the cherry trees or their history and meaning.