Melania Trump fires back at NBC News' presidential historian for attacking her redesign of WH Rose Garden



Former first lady Melania Trump fired back at an NBC News presidential historian who characterized Trump's redesign of the White House Rose Garden as an "evisceration" with "grim results."

What is the background?

NBC News presidential historian Michael Beschloss indirectly slammed Melania Trump last week when he posted a picture of the Rose Garden and disparaged the facelift that Trump completed of the historic grounds last year.

"Evisceration of White House Rose Garden was completed a year ago this month, and here was the grim result—decades of American history made to disappear," Beschloss tweeted.

Evisceration of White House Rose Garden was completed a year ago this month, and here was the grim result—decades o… https://t.co/2QbzG6gz8S

— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) 1628349009.0

What did Melania Trump say?

The former first lady accused Beschloss of spreading "misleading information," called him "dishonorable," and said he "should never be trusted."

"[Beschloss] has proven his ignorance by showing a picture of the Rose Garden in its infancy," the Twitter account linked to the "Office of Melania Trump said on Sunday.

"The Rose Garden is graced with a healthy & colorful blossoming of roses," the statement added. "His misleading information is dishonorable & he should never be trusted as a professional historian."

.@BeschlossDC has proven his ignorance by showing a picture of the Rose Garden in its infancy. The Rose Garden is g… https://t.co/eOWXoS7kkU

— Office of Melania Trump (@OfficeofMelania) 1628432810.0

It's not clear why the Office of Melania Trump's Twitter account does not have a "blue checkmark" indicating a verified profile. The account, however, is the official account belonging to Melania Trump's post-White House office.

According to CNN, Melania Trump established a post-White House office in February to continue promoting her "Be Best" campaign, which is focused on promoting the flourishing of children.

What about the redesign?

Trump redesigned the Rose Garden to resemble the original 1962 design completed by Rachel Lambert Mellon.

The Associated Press reported on the changes:

The flowers in the garden are largely pastels, which are favored by the first lady, including taller white roses, which were in honor of the first papal visit to the White House by Pope John Paul II in 1979. A diamond-like shape of boxwoods was also added, while about a dozen crabapple trees were removed and will be replanted elsewhere on the grounds.

Moreover, a seating area on the east side of the garden — used at times by presidents for lunch and other meetings — has been removed and will be replaced by a yet-to-be-announced art installation.

The most visually striking change to the garden was the addition of a 3-foot (nearly 1-meter)-wide limestone walking path bordering the central lawn. Less noticeable changes include improved drainage and infrastructure and making the garden more accessible for people with disabilities. Audiovisual, broadcasting and other technical fixes are part of the plan, too.

The redesign was reportedly funded by private donations.


Excited to honor history & celebrate the future in our beautiful @WhiteHouse Rose Garden this evening. Thank you to… https://t.co/kdyyexsb7x

— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) 1598115660.0

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Liberals attack Melania Trump with hate over Rose Garden renovation: 'The worst first lady in history'



Liberals attacked Melania Trump over the weekend after the first lady unveiled renovations to the Rose Garden at the White House.

What is the background?

According to CNN, the Rose Garden has been under construction since last month to undergo horticultural and technological updates.

From CNN:

The restoration resembles the original design and formation of the Rose Garden, established by President John F. Kennedy, and implemented in 1962 by horticulturist and philanthropist Rachel "Bunny" Mellon. The garden had not undergone a comprehensive refresh since then.

One of the first lady's stated goals for the renovation was to "fulfill the dynamic needs of the modern presidency," so part of the updated design includes modern features for audio and visual capabilities, as well as lighting and access for television cameras.

On Saturday, Melania unveiled the renovated garden.

Excited to honor history & celebrate the future in our beautiful @WhiteHouse Rose Garden this evening. Thank you to… https://t.co/kdyyexsb7x
— Melania Trump (@Melania Trump)1598115660.0

What was the response?

Liberals who are not fond of President Donald Trump tore into Melania over the renovation.

"You destroyed our garden! How DARE you! Do you have no appreciation of history? Do you have no understanding of America, of what this gorgeous place MEANT?! Your tasteless, crass, white-power mindset is disgusting. Get out of OUR house! It's not yours to destroy!" liberal writer Kurt Eichenwald said.

You destroyed our garden! How DARE you! Do you have no appreciation of history? Do you have no understanding of America, of what this gorgeous place MEANT?! Your tasteless, crass, white-power mindset is disgusting.

Get out of OUR house! It's not yours to destroy!
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) August 22, 2020

"The Rose Garden now looks like a cemetery, which perhaps is actually appropriate given what your husband has done to our country," Eugene Gu responded.

@FLOTUS @WhiteHouse Hard to fit more than 170,000 tombstones on that green lawn. But the epitaph is the same.“Her… https://t.co/oJyMQGy71S
— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD)1598119761.0

Author Jennifer Wright called the renovation "entirely devoid of color or joy," comparing the renovation to what the garden looked like during the Obama administration.

I'd say that overhauling your garden during a time of national unrest is a real Marie Antoinette move, but to my kn… https://t.co/uVYfLdkdVN
— Jennifer Wright (@Jennifer Wright)1598118521.0

NBC political analyst Howard Fineman said the Trumps have turned the Rose Garden into a "neo-fascist parade ground."

The #Trump family did its best to turn the lovely Rose Garden into a neo-fascist parade ground. https://t.co/XTVvqnFzaX
— howardfineman (@howardfineman)1598116130.0

Author Don Winslow said, "Dear @FLOTUS You are the worst first lady in history. 80% of Americans just hate you. We will all remember that when you Trump did every evil thing he did you were standing right beside him cheering him on. You supported and enabled hate, torture, death, assault, & racism."

Dear @FLOTUS You are the worst first lady in history.80% of Americans just hate you.We will all remember that… https://t.co/Xn3ZA50DVz
— Don Winslow (@Don Winslow)1598160504.0

Others commented:

  • "I'm an avid gardener and conservationist. But here's some non-political feedback. And I've never tweeted to the WH, POTUS, or FLOTUS until right now. This is terrible. Removing pollinator trees and replacing with so much lawn is so bad ecologically. This makes me sad," another person commented.
  • "This is the 'Rose Garden: Pandemic Version!' It is devoid of color & lifeless. It looks like a garden that one would see at a war memorial. What were they thinking?" another person said.
  • "Sad. It was lovely before. 30 million Americans dont have enough food. and you do this- at our expense," another person said.
  • "Cool. You spent time and money changing something that didn't need to be changed - as your citizens struggle to survive," yet another person responded.

Despite what her detractors said, public funds did not finance the renovation. According to CNN, it was paid for through private donations.