NEED TO KNOW
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Donald Trump’s makeover of the White House Rose Garden is officially over after the president hosted an exclusive reopening event for some of his closest allies
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On Sept. 5, Trump invited guests to enjoy dinner on the new concrete patio, which replaced JFK’s historic Rose Garden lawn
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Photos from the event also revealed a new name for the patio area, which offers insight into how the president will treat the space
President Donald Trump‘s controversial makeover of the White House Rose Garden was on display over the weekend as he hosted his first event on the new patio and revealed an updated name for the space.
On Friday, Sept. 5, Trump, 79, welcomed some of his closest allies — including Vice President JD Vance, Cabinet officials and several members of Congress — for dinner in the outdoor hosting area.
Trump acknowledged the Rose Garden renovations while speaking to guests, saying, “We have worked very hard to bring it to fruition, and [it’s] not an easy situation, but it’s something that I think we’re all going to enjoy for many, many years to come. It’s a tremendous place.”
Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg/Getty
A dinner for Cabinet officials and members of Congress in the newly renovated White House Rose Garden on Sept. 5, 2025
Photos of place settings from the dinner revealed Trump’s new branding for the Rose Garden patio: “The Rose Garden Club at the White House.”
The moniker raised eyebrows among some for adding an air of Mar-a-Lago–style exclusivity to the White House, which has long been known as “The People’s House” and was even declared a museum under President John F. Kennedy.
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty
Place settings are seen during a dinner in the newly renovated White House Rose Garden on Sept. 5, 2025
The White House Rose Garden was reimagined with a central lawn in 1961 at the request of JFK, and remained largely unchanged until President Trump and first lady Melania Trump began their polarizing renovations during his first term.
When the latest round of renovations began in June, a White House official described it as a “restoration,” adding that the Trumps “have deep respect for the history of the White House and for the Rose Garden.”
“This restoration to the Rose Garden preserves the beauty of the space and builds on the work done in 2020,” the official said, “with a focus on enhancing practical use and guest experience for those attending special events.”
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Harris & Ewing; Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty; Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty
The White House Rose Garden in (L to R) the 1900s, 2013, and 2025
The biggest change has, of course, been the paving over of a large area of the Kennedy-era lawn to resemble a concrete patio.
In a March interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Trump explained the decision. “You know, we use [the Rose Garden] for press conferences, and it doesn’t work because the people fall,” he said. “The terrain can be wet, and the soft ground can be an issue for some… Women, with the high heels, it just didn’t work.”
The new patio space also features tables with yellow and white-striped umbrellas, which the Trumps sourced from the same supplier that decorated their Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty; Scott Olson/Getty
The White House Rose Garden patio umbrellas are the same ones used at Mar-a-Lago
Sources recently told PEOPLE that the Trumps’ recent revisions to the White House — which also include plans to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on top of the East Wing — have been implemented to more closely mirror the vibe of the first family’s Florida beach club.
One social source in Florida told PEOPLE in August that both Donald and Melania “would prefer to be in Palm Beach,” so instead they’re “bringing Mar-a-Lago to Washington.”
“Their plans for the White House are being implemented to remind them of Mar-a-Lago,” the source said. “That way, when they aren’t in Palm Beach, they are there in the mind.”
Another source — a Mar-a-Lago club member — told PEOPLE that Donald and Melania take much pride in their Florida home’s decor and style and enjoy showing it off, so it “makes sense” they’d make changes to the historic presidential building.
“Anytime Melania and Donald can make the White House feel more like Mar-a-Lago, they will,” the source says. “They love Mar-a-Lago. Not only is it their home, but Donald personally created much of the current decor and takes pride in living there and showing it to other people.”
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Other recent changes to the White House include displays of Trump-themed art and merchandise, as well as the addition of gold accents to the furniture and decor in the Oval Office.
An April report in The Wall Street Journal revealed that the president had enlisted his “gold guy,” cabinetmaker John Icart, to create golden borders for his political portraits, gilded carvings for the fireplace mantel, a gold Trump crest in a doorway, and more.
Icart has previously worked on projects at Mar-a-Lago, and the flashy style also echoes the president’s Trump Tower apartment in New York City.
Read the original article on People
