Karoline Leavitt's Comments About Trump's Rose Garden Reno Hint Melania Has Checked Out For Good

Proving money can't buy taste, Donald Trump's gilded Oval Office makeover was thought by many to be the ultimate in tacky excess. Then the president said, "Hold my Diet Coke." He followed up with what may be Trump's worst renovation yet: the White House Rose Garden re-do. Declaring the manicured lawn was constantly soggy and inconvenient for high-heeled visitors, he had the entire area paved over in concrete and added patio-style seating. As usual, the president's fans gushed over the drastic change, while critics called it cold and compared it to the outdoor areas of chain restaurants and hotel pools. But what does first lady Melania Trump think of her husband's vision? Um...we're not sure.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gave reporters a sneak peek of the grounds on August 20 and answered questions. For one, she confirmed that the white and yellow-striped umbrellas at the metal tables are "literally the umbrellas from Mar-a-Lago" (per People) — meaning, the same style from the same company that furnishes Trump's famed Florida property. Another attendee asked what was on everyone's mind: whether Melania was "cool with" the overhaul. After all, she had done her own refurbishment of the Rose Garden back in 2020. Leavitt replied: "She is. I believe so, yeah." 

That wishy-washy answer just brings up more intriguing questions. Is Melania, in fact, cool with the Holiday Inn aesthetic? Was she even consulted before the cement mixer began rolling? Or is she, as has been rumored, so disconnected from the presidential life this time around that she really doesn't care, do u?

There are plenty of signs Melania Trump calls the shots in her marriage to Donald, and whatever others may think of that, the arrangement works for them. But the president seems to be the one making the decisions about all things White House in his second term. Back in 2020, the first lady spearheaded controversial changes to the Rose Garden made famous by Jackie Kennedy. The grounds were essentially torn up and replanted, with a new irrigation system and replacement of plants and crabapple trees. Critics called it "destroyed," but White House and National Park Service sources told CNN the reno was necessary to preserve the integrity and sustainability of the grounds. But it's one thing to replace dying rosebushes; it's quite another to slap concrete and cabana umbrellas on a huge lawn to prevent muddy feet. 

Trump's redo of the garden's centerpiece fits his own aesthetic more than his wife's, but Melania has yet to comment on the new look. Then again, she hasn't commented on much since her husband took office. Her personal Instagram account hasn't been used since June, and her FLOTUS account posts every couple of weeks or so about White House events and updates on her official duties. She (or her team) did share a video of the blooming roses back in early May, but as of this writing, nothing has been added about the patio. It all fits in with the hands-off approach she's taken of late.

Melania Trump's feelings about being first lady this second time around come through without her having to say a word. The fact she was almost entirely absent from his 2024 campaign rallies was a huge hint, and since the election, she's been just as elusive. Melania appears at key events involving children, such as the White House Easter Egg Roll and the signing of the Take It Down Act, and she accompanied the president to Texas where many young girls lost their lives during a devastating flood which overtook their Christian summer camp. A source told People shortly after the 2025 inauguration that the first lady "doesn't believe she has obligations in the political world" and would only become involved in an event or cause if "she has the time and interest to pursue it."

Melania's invisibility appears to have extended to the re-do of the garden she refurbished just five years ago. It's not yet known whether she'll be present when Donald holds the official opening ceremony. (Judging by the speaker test during the press preview, the event will be done to the tune of the psychedelic Procol Harum tune "Whiter Shade of Pale.") But if Melania does have an opinion on the new look, it's a sure bet she'll keep it to herself while crafting a careful post about the beauty of the surroundings. Then the first lady will hop back to New York or Mar-a-Lago to return to doing exactly as she pleases.