Even though she’s no longer in the White House, there are many people who still have a strong opinion about Melania Trump.
The former first lady, however, has avoided public appearances since President Joe Biden entered office, and she’s also been pretty quiet on social media.
Therefore, it was surprising when Melania Trump went out and publicly attacked an individual who had annoyed her for quite a long time.
Everyone knows that it’s common for presidents’ wives to put their own personal touch on the White House. This could be via a new interior design or refurbishing; Jackie Kennedy’s iconic Rose Garden is probably one of the most famous examples.
The first Rose Garden was formed by First Lady Ellen Wilson, the first wife of President Woodrow Wilson. It replaced the colonial garden created by President Theodore Roosevelt’s wife, First Lady Edith Roosevelt.
In 1962, the Rose Garden received a famous facelift when Jackie Kennedy hired landscape designer Rachel Lambert Mellon to create a beautifully rich garden that included flower beds filled with color and captivating roses.
Today, the Rose Garden isn’t just a beautiful place.
The green spot has been an important breathing space where presidents have been able to reflect and contemplate in time of crisis – and there have definitely been a lot of those over the years.
Under President Trump’s administration, the Rose Garden was also often used as a backdrop for press conferences and during other special occasions.
When Melania Trump unveiled her renovations to the garden in 2020, many welcomed the decision to upgrade the lush spot.
First of all, the former First Lady invested in strengthening the infrastructure around the garden, including new cameras, audio visual equipment, paving, drainage and lighting. Melania Trump also took care to make the garden more accessible for people with disabilities.
“Decades of use and necessary changes made to support the modern presidency have taken a toll on the garden and have made it more difficult to appreciate the elegant symmetry of the Mellon plan,” the White House wrote in a press release.
The most eye-catching new feature was probably a majestic limestone walking path bordering the central lawn, flanked by treeless beds.
Melania’s changes were one of her final acts as First Lady.
But her redesign was met with mixed emotions – many people thought it now resembled a giant TV stage, rather than a lush garden.
Some were left positively furious with Melania’s changes, and questioned where all the roses had gone.
The fact that Melania had removed 10 crabapple trees, planted during John F. Kennedy’s time in office, also left social media hissing with fury.
”What happened to the trees?” Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief and Washington Correspondent, wondered.
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