Summary
- Trump
identified the culprit causing damage in Rose Garden renovation. - “Huge
gash” appeared in the new limestone paving area. - Culprit
was a parked truck during construction, per Trump. - The
garden was upgraded with stone replacing grass, and new drainage added.
President Donald Trump may have found a new career path as a
detective-in-chief thanks to his passion for surfaces, especially marble and
stone.
In a Truth Social post on August 30, Trump declared that he
had solved a White House murder case with “limestone plus,” which had
just been put in the Rose Garden.
“Three days ago, while admiring the stonework, I happened
to notice a huge gash in the limestone that extended more than 25 yards long.
It was deep and nasty!,”
he wrote.
“I started yelling, Who did this,
and I want to find out now!”
— And I didn’t say this in a nice manner. I
wondered,
“Was it vandalism or, was it stupidity?”
Fortunately for Trump, however, the White House, equipped
with the “finest security equipment anywhere,” was able to use camera
footage to identify the alleged criminals.
The steel cart that the subcontractor was using was
“broken and titling badly, with it rubbing hard against the soft,
beautiful stone,” according to Trump.
All summer, work had been underway to renovate
the Rose Garden, which included tearing up the sod and replacing it with a
stone. Trump discovered the “gash” in the stone after the job was
finished. When asked when the rework would be finished, the White House did not
immediately answer. Trump has previously claimed that he saw women’s heels
being caught in the mud and got the idea for the new surface.
Trump has been remodeling and redesigning the White House,
from tearing up the sod in the Rose Garden to replacing it with white stone to
giving the Oval Office a magnificent makeover. In the East Wing, he also
intends to create a ballroom that is 90,000 square feet in size.
How much did the Rose Garden revamp officially cost?
The renovation involved replacing the iconic grass lawn with
white stone pavers laid in a diagonal pattern. New drainage systems were
installed around the perimeter with decorative white grates featuring
stars-and-stripes designs.
Trump explained the change was necessary to address issues
with soggy, damaged grass that made the garden difficult to use for events,
especially for people wearing high heels. The redesign was inspired by the
patio style at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
The project aimed to enhance practical use and guest
experience during press conferences and special events. The nearly $2 million
cost was part of a broader set of modifications Trump made to the White House
grounds during his tenure.
