President Donald Trump has publicly shamed a landscaping team who left a ‘huge gash’ in his Rose Garden limestone and vowed they will ‘never work at the White House again.’
In a public dressing down shared to X on Saturday night, Trump shared video of the culprits, writing: ‘Surfaces are very important to me as a builder.
‘I used, at the White House, the most beautiful marble and stone available anywhere. As everyone knows, I built many GREAT Buildings, and other things, over the years.
‘The Rose Garden is completed, and far more beautiful than anyone ever had in mind when it was conceived of, decades ago.’
Trump said while admiring the stonework three days ago, he noticed ‘a huge gash in the limestone that extended more than 25 yards long.
‘It was deep and nasty! I started yelling, “Who did this, and I want to find out now!” — And I didn’t say this in a nice manner.’
Trump said he wondered if it was ‘vandalism or stupidity’ and ordered a review of the security footage in the area.
President Donald Trump has publicly shamed a landscaping team who left a ‘huge gash’ in his Rose Garden limestone and vowed they will ‘never work at the White House again’
In a public dressing down shared to X on Saturday night, Trump shared video of the culprits, writing: ‘Surfaces are very important to me as a builder’
In the video, two contractors wheel a heavy pallet jack along a narrow path of the limestone.
At one stage, they appear to get stuck in a bush, and after some tugging, they manage to free the pallet jack and continue along the path.
The duo failed to notice the gash forming behind them as they walked.
‘They brought back the stupid people, with their boss watching (in sunglasses!).’
Trump said the culprit was ‘a subcontractor that was installing heavy landscaping on a steel cart that was broken and tilting badly, with it rubbing hard against the soft, beautiful stone.
‘I love and respect great workers and contractors, but something like this should never happen,’ Trump added.
‘Now, I’ll replace the stone, charge the contractor, and never let that contractor work at the White House again.’
Trump said while admiring the stonework three days ago, he noticed ‘a huge gash in the limestone that extended more than 25 yards long
Despite his fury at the actions of the contractor, Trump was also thrilled by the high-tech equipment he had put in place.
‘But, how great is the video equipment?’ he said. ‘We caught them, cold.’
Trump completely renovated the famous White House rose garden when he returned to office.
The garden’s previously grassy lawn was fully covered by pavement as construction crews put the final touches on Trump’s project.
He said he’d pave over the Rose Garden because the grass is always wet and is an inconvenience for women in high heels. The project was expected to be finished in August.
The Rose Garden was created during Democrat John F. Kennedy’s administration. Presidents have used the space for everything from big announcements to Thanksgiving turkey pardon ceremonies.
It’s Trump’s second makeover of the garden just outside the Oval Office. In 2020, first lady Melania Trump announced an update that included a limestone walking path bordering the central lawn.
It also improved drainage and added accessibility for people with disabilities.
It’s part of Trump’s bigger plan to add his own flourishes to the Executive Mansion and its grounds. His updates have already added flagpoles to the North and South Lawns, and he wants to build a new ballroom on the grounds.