Melania Trump Unveils Refurbished White House Rose Garden
First lady Melania Trump revealed to the nation the newly renovated White House Rose Garden on Saturday, just days before she’s scheduled to use the grounds as a backdrop for her speech to the Republican National Convention, The New York Post reported.
In July, as The Inquisitr reported, the first lady announced that she would be overseeing the renovation of the century-old garden, originally installed in 1913 by Ellen Louise Axson Wilson, the wife of Woodrow Wilson. It had not undergone a major renovation since the Kennedy administration, under then-first lady Jacqueline Kennedy.
At the time, she revealed that her plans included updating it for the realities of the life of a president in the 21st century, to “fulfill the dynamic needs of the modern presidency,” as she described it, in part by installing electrical equipment for press conferences, as well as a new limestone walkway, and new flowers and shrubs.
“Our country has seen difficult times before, but the White House and the Rose Garden have always stood as a symbol of our strength, resilience and continuity,” she said at the time.
Trump’s changes, which she revealed to the media, include restoration of the original diamond-shaped boxwood hedges, as well as new rose bushes to honor Jackie Kennedy.
The new displays include cream-colored roses in honor of the former first lady, yellow “Peace” roses, and a white “Pope John Paul II” rose to commemorate his historic visit to the White House during the Carter administration in 1979.
The president and first lady are expected to hold a private reception in the Rose Garden later on Saturday, which will also be attended by Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence.
First look at the refreshened Rose Garden, from where First Lady Melania Trump will speak at the convention Tuesday night pic.twitter.com/WowbDRfkGB
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) August 22, 2020
On Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, the first lady will use the newly renovated space as a backdrop for a speech, which will be livestreamed to the Republican National Convention.
That hasn’t sat well with some Democrats, who point out that federal rules prohibit using the White House and its grounds for expressly political events, a rule which the AP notes that many presidents have “flirted with” disobeying.
Meanwhile, further renovations are planned for this particular section of the White House exterior, including bringing in an art installation to the grassy area where, in 2009, then-President Barack Obama famously held a “beer summit” between a Black college professor and a white police officer who arrested him over a misunderstanding.
The White House would not say how much the project cost, but did confirm that it was paid for with private donations.
