US President Donald Trump on Saturday lashed out at a subcontractor and workers he accused of damaging stonework during recent renovations of the White House Rose Garden, sharing security footage of the incident on Truth Social.
Trump, who has overseen a redesign of the historic garden, wrote that he noticed a “huge gash in the limestone that extended more than 25 yards long” while inspecting the finished project. “It was deep and nasty!” he added, calling the culprits “stupid people” caught on surveillance cameras.
The president said the damage occurred as workers attempted to transport heavy landscaping on a steel cart that was “broken and tilting badly, with it rubbing hard against the soft, beautiful stone.”
In the video, shared online, two men can be seen moving shrubbery while their supervisor, whom Trump mocked as watching “in sunglasses,” stood by.
“I love and respect great workers and contractors, but something like this should never happen,” Trump wrote, vowing to replace the damaged stone, bill the contractor, and “never let that contractor work at the White House again.”
He concluded, “We caught them, cold. Make America Great Again!”
Trump emphasised his identity as a builder, noting: “Surfaces are very important to me as a Builder. As everyone knows.” He boasted of using “the most beautiful marble and stone available anywhere” for the project, which he insisted was now “far more beautiful than anyone ever had in mind when it was conceived of, decades ago.”
The Rose Garden’s makeover has faced mockery online since its unveiling. Critics described its stone surface as resembling a “patio” or even a “parking lot,” according to the Independent.
Trump has also defended the changes by arguing the stonework prevents visitors’ heels from sinking into the grass, as per USA Today.
Trump, who has overseen a redesign of the historic garden, wrote that he noticed a “huge gash in the limestone that extended more than 25 yards long” while inspecting the finished project. “It was deep and nasty!” he added, calling the culprits “stupid people” caught on surveillance cameras.
The president said the damage occurred as workers attempted to transport heavy landscaping on a steel cart that was “broken and tilting badly, with it rubbing hard against the soft, beautiful stone.”
In the video, shared online, two men can be seen moving shrubbery while their supervisor, whom Trump mocked as watching “in sunglasses,” stood by.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 30, 2025
“I love and respect great workers and contractors, but something like this should never happen,” Trump wrote, vowing to replace the damaged stone, bill the contractor, and “never let that contractor work at the White House again.”
He concluded, “We caught them, cold. Make America Great Again!”
Trump emphasised his identity as a builder, noting: “Surfaces are very important to me as a Builder. As everyone knows.” He boasted of using “the most beautiful marble and stone available anywhere” for the project, which he insisted was now “far more beautiful than anyone ever had in mind when it was conceived of, decades ago.”
The Rose Garden’s makeover has faced mockery online since its unveiling. Critics described its stone surface as resembling a “patio” or even a “parking lot,” according to the Independent.
Trump has also defended the changes by arguing the stonework prevents visitors’ heels from sinking into the grass, as per USA Today.
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