Trump's White House Rose Garden makeover sparks ridicule: 'A concrete hell yard'

WASHINGTON, DC: New images of the nearly completed redesign of the White House’s iconic Rose Garden have sparked a social media firestorm, with critics accusing the president and first lady of erasing a historic green space.

The revamp is part of a broader wave of aesthetic changes under Donald Trump's watch, including a lavish gold makeover of the Oval Office, echoing his signature style.

Internet erupts over Rose Garden makeover at the White House

Social media users didn’t hold back in their reactions to the newly paved-over Rose Garden. Many slammed the makeover as lacking creativity and questioned the Trumps’ design choices.

One X (formerly Twitter) user, "I know it’s nothing in the big picture of all the awful and horrific things he’s done. But the next candidate who runs and says they’ll restore it back to the rose garden will get a bonus point from me."

"Genuinely awful. Could they not find better materials and design for it? Perhaps the lighting is bad but it looks like it was put together with spare parts," a disappointed user added.

One person slammed, "This looks like a f**king public pool."

An individual mocked, "Can't wait until all the botox, silicone and garish makeup starts melting in the heat & humidity that is DC in August. But, hey! Those stilettos won't sink in the grass now, will they?. 🙄🙄🙄🙄

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂."

"I absolutely hate it. This is an abomination," read another tweet. 

"You'll get insane glare off that too when the sun shines. What an impractical choice of stone," a person mentioned. 

One more suggested, "They could have at least had grass strips between the diamond tiles. This looks hideous."

"Want of of most beautiful locations at the white house is now a concrete hell yard," another dissapointed netizen said. 

When will the Rose Garden makeover be completed?

Newly released photos reveal the iconic Rose Garden's lawn now paved with plain white, square tiles, bordered by neat rows of rose bushes.

According to Trump, the redesign, unveiled back in March, is intended to transform the garden into a more functional "presidential patio." The renovation, led by the National Park Service and funded by the Trust for the National Mall, is expected to be completed by mid-August 2025.

This isn’t the first time a Rose Garden makeover under the Trumps has sparked controversy. Melania Trump faced similar backlash in 2020 during the initial redesign, which was notably criticized by NBC News historian Michael Beschloss as “grim.”

In a March interview with Fox News' Laura Ingraham, Trump explained the reasoning behind the new concrete surface, claiming the soft lawn created problems during press events. “You know, we use [the Rose Garden] for press conferences, and it doesn’t work because the people fall,” he said. “The terrain can be wet, and the soft ground can be an issue for some... Women, with the high heels, it just didn’t work."

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online