Melania Trump has responded to the criticism of historian and biographer Michael Beschloss, who claimed earlier in Twitter that her restoration of the White House’s Rose Garden had a “grim result” and caused “decades of American history to disappear”.
The former First Lady pointed out that the photo from Beschloss’ tweet was taken before the restoration was completed and called the historian “unprofessional”.
In April, around 80,000 activists sign a petition, calling on current First Lady Jill Biden to reverse the changes made in the garden, because they “ripped away” Kennedy’s legacy.
In August last year, Melania Trump posted a photo of the Rose Garden, which has been restored to its original 1962 design by Rachel Mellon that looked more minimalistic. The site was equipped with a more modern drainage system for the plants and made more convenient for reporters and disable people.
Not everyone liked the result of the reconstruction and some netizens noted that the garden looks too empty and had lost its unique atmosphere.
During her time in the White House, Melania Trump renovated, among other things, the interior, bowling alley, the Rose Garden and the notorious tennis pavilion. Netizens blasted Melania for the construction of the tennis site amid the deadly pandemic, comparing her with 18th century French Queen Marie Antoinette, who was known for her disregard for her starving subjects.