Why Did Donald Trump Destroy the Storied White House Rose Garden?

The Rose Garden holds a historic place in the history of the White House. It was first established by then First Lady Ellen Wilson, wife of Woodrow Wilson, in 1913. While there were roses added to the landscape, the original name for the garden may have come from the fact that there was a large greenhouse previously in that spot that was called the Rose House.

Over the years, the Rose Garden has undergone multiple transformations and redesigns until it became the beautiful spot that it was when Donald Trump took office for a second time in 2025.

Shortly after he returned to office, Trump decided to have the garden decommissioned. Why is Trump paving the Rose Garden? Keep reading to find out, and to learn a bit about the history of the White House Rose Garden.

The decision to pave over the Rose Garden is one that was made out of comfort, according to Newsweek, who says that Trump wanted to eliminate the natural area of the White House garden because the grass was always wet, and using the spot for press conferences was challenging to those in high heels.

The job was being handled by the National Park Service, which is the organization responsible for tending to this type of work at the White House.

The project has been given an estimated two-month turnaround time, and work began in early June 2025. That means that the newly finished garden should be up and running sometime in August 2025.

The Rose Garden renovations have traditionally been overseen by the wives of the presidents, who take over the task in tandem with expert landscapers and master gardeners.

According to CNN, prior to Trump's decision to pave over the garden, it was last updated by his wife in 2020, when Melania Trump completely redesigned the space. Often referred to as "America's Garden," the changes drew a lot of criticism since the space was styled after Trump's own aesthetic.

That meant removing all of the existing foliage from the garden and installing new walkways and plants. The final product left a bad taste in most people's mouths, and more than five years later, many people still share the criticism of the decision.

Before that, it was most famously redesigned in honor of Jaqueline Kennedy at the request of her husband, John F. Kennedy, in 1962.

Even after the 2020 redesign, three of four magnolias that were planted to commemorate Kennedy's memory remained in the garden, continuing his enduring legacy.

As for what the final product will look like once the 2025 renovation is done, both fans and critics alike will just have to wait before they can share their thoughts. If it's anything like the last time the Trumps left their mark on the grounds, we have a hunch that opinions will once again be split down party lines.