President Donald Trump revealed during the White House Rose Garden Club dinner on May 11 how Melania Trump responded to the changes he made to White House. Trump claimed that Melania wasn’t entirely pleased by sweeping changes he made to a well-known section of the White House grounds.
Trump reportedly replaced portions of the Rose Garden lawn with stonework and a patio, and this recent makeover was questioned by Melania. During the dinner, Trump said:
“I want to welcome you to the Rose Garden. You know, this is a whole new thing. This used to be grass.”
He added that the makeover did come with some criticism at home. He shared:
“And I took a little heat from my wife. She said, ‘Darling, what did you do with my grass?’ I said, ‘People got tired of standing in mud.'”
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According to the Irish Star, Trump defended his makeover decision and argued that White House grounds often became too wet for outdoor events and conferences. He explained:
“You know, the White House, you don’t realize this, it’s built on a wetland. So it didn’t have to rain. The grass was always soaking wet.”
The 79-year-old then claimed that reporters struggled to walk across the muddy lawn, and that they walked out with their shoes, and that the female reporters, in particular, “weren’t thrilled” about the condition of the Rose Garden grass.
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Interestingly, Trump went on to say that the White House had become a “s–t house” when he became the president. He then boasted that the renovations he had done were “gorgeous” and the place is “tippy top” now.
“Normally, I would have said it was a s—house. This place was not properly taken care of.”
“The columns were falling down. The plaster was falling off. You made a speech, and I was saying, ‘couldn’t you fix up the paint job up there?'”
Adding:
“You know, it looked, and this place is tippy top now. including all the brand-new, beautiful stone. I paid for it myself.”
“All of the stone, all of the different things we have.”
According to Trump, his administration was “bringing the White House back to shape.”
Trump has reportedly overseen several noticeable design changes since returning to office, including replacing sections of Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, a $400 million ballroom expansion near the East Wing and adding gold accents to the Oval Office.
He revealed:
“The big thing is, we’re building a ballroom in the back, which will be, I think, the most beautiful ballroom anywhere in the world.”
The president also referenced security concerns while discussing the future ballroom project.
“It’ll also be very safe. It’s got glass this thick.”
