First lady of the United States Melania Trump took to social media on Monday to announce that the White House Rose Garden will receive a facelift over the summer and undergo restoration in line with a 1962 design implemented under then-US President John F. Kennedy’s administration.
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
A detailed, 241-page landscape report - complete with artist renderings - was released alongside the Monday announcement.
Some renderings of the renovated Rose Garden, via the 241-page landscape report distributed by the White House pic.twitter.com/EWHAmKlHcg
— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) July 27, 2020
Netizens quickly responded with their own opinions on the “tone-deaf” announcement and appeared mince no words while doing such.
Why is Melania Trump announcing a Rose Garden renovation in the middle of a national crisis? 149,000 Americans have died in a window of a few short months.
— A Worried Citizen (@ThePubliusUSA) July 27, 2020
44 million Americans don’t have healthcare in the midst of a global pandemic but Melania is giving the Rose Garden a makeover with our tax dollars.
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) July 27, 2020
It's amazing that @FLOTUS is working on the Rose Garden so that the American public can truly enjoy the sights and scents of blooming... oh. pic.twitter.com/tkV79uUhqE
— Liddle’ Savage (@littledeekay) July 27, 2020
Melania Trump revamping the Rose Garden with taxpayer dollars from the same millions of Americans that are struggling to pay their bills is peak Be Best.
— Angela Belcamino (@AngelaBelcamino) July 27, 2020
MELANIA TRUMP'S COVID PLAN:
— Matt Oswalt (@MattOswaltVA) July 27, 2020
PHASE 1 - combat initial outbreak by building White House Tennis Courts
PHASE 2 - when Covid deaths reach 150,000 immediately remodel Rose Garden
PHASE 3 - at 1 million deaths launch emergency plan to construct crystal healing day spa in West Wing
The Rose Garden, sponsored by Goya Foods pic.twitter.com/CiHCFaQXIg
— Paul Leigh (@Pleightx) July 27, 2020
@FLOTUS & @IvankaTrump take tone deaf to a different height. They are master grifters on the taxpayer's dime.
— For The Love Of.... (@JMareeG) July 27, 2020
Several Twitter users expressed little surprise at the first lady’s actions, and some even recounted her 2018 “I Really Don’t Care, Do U?” coat controversy.
Considering this is how Melania decorated the White House for Christmas, my expectations are extremely low. https://t.co/nf7rGqSPcy pic.twitter.com/4cBC0qPNrk
— Britni Danielle (@BritniDWrites) July 27, 2020
Melania Trump will be renovating the Rose garden.
— Woman In The Moon (@SassyKadiK) July 27, 2020
I really don’t care, do you?
She told the whole world how she feels when she wore this jacket 👇 pic.twitter.com/NgGPKyeD8f
— JJ LeBlanc est mon nom de plume (@JJLongworth) July 27, 2020
“Preserving the history and beauty of the White House and its grounds is a testament to our nation’s commitment to the care of this landscape and our dedication to American ideals, safeguarding them for our children and their children for generations to come,” the first lady said in a Monday White House release.
Melania Trump’s emphasis on the protection and preservation of history comes after her husband US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on June 26 “protecting public monuments, memorials, and statues from the mob’s ropes and graffiti.”
“My Administration will not allow violent mobs incited by a radical fringe to become the arbiters of the aspects of our history that can be celebrated in public spaces,” he noted in the executive order.
The US president’s 2020 campaign team has since adopted similar language regarding the topic but fumbled on messaging earlier this month when it vowed in an ad that Trump would protect the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
