Donald Trump publicly joked that the White House was once a "s--thouse" during a donor event Monday night, despite reportedly being urged by Melania Trump to "act presidential" and avoid profanity - a moment that has intensified scrutiny over tensions surrounding the administration's controversial redesign of the historic Rose Garden.
The remarks came during the Rose Garden Club Dinner on May 11, as construction crews and bulldozers began reshaping parts of the White House grounds in what Trump has described as a modernization effort inspired partly by his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. According to people familiar with the matter, the First Lady has been privately frustrated by both the tone surrounding the renovations and what some insiders describe as an increasingly aggressive effort to remake parts of the presidential residence.
Addressing donors in the newly modified Rose Garden area, Trump framed himself as the leader finally willing to restore what he portrayed as a neglected White House. Gesturing toward the colonnades and surrounding structures, the president claimed "this place was not properly taken care of" before his return to office.
Trump then recounted a conversation with Melania Trump, saying she had warned him: "You have to act presidential, so don't use foul language."
He paused before adding, "I won't, therefore."
Moments later, Trump undercut the promise, telling guests: "Normally I would have said it was a s--thouse," before insisting he was choosing not to use that language. The remark reportedly drew laughter from attendees but also highlighted the recurring contrast between Trump's populist rhetorical style and Melania Trump's more formal vision of the presidency.
The First Lady has long positioned herself as a defender of White House aesthetics and historical continuity, particularly through her 2020 Rose Garden renovation project and updates to the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. Those earlier redesigns generated criticism at the time, including petitions demanding restoration of the gardens' "former glory," though her office argued the changes addressed drainage, accessibility and infrastructure concerns.
Trump's latest construction push has revived that debate on a larger scale. National Park Service employees and contractors this week began excavating sections of the Rose Garden lawn to create a paved patio area and install additional flagpoles.
According to Associated Press, the work is expected to continue through the first half of August.
Trump defended the overhaul while touring the site Monday, saying the White House grounds had "needed flagpoles for 200 years" and again emphasizing that the additions were "paid for by Trump." The White House already flies the American flag and the POW/MIA flag daily from the roof, though Trump has argued the grounds themselves require more prominent displays.
The president also used the donor dinner to praise broader renovation efforts inside the executive mansion. "This place is tippy-top now," Trump told attendees, crediting the improvements to "all of the brand new beautiful stone" and adding: "I paid for it myself, all of the stone, all of the different things we have."
He further highlighted new marble statues of Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin as part of the redesign effort, continuing a longstanding Trump narrative that portrays him as personally financing restorations neglected by previous administrations.
The Rose Garden itself carries substantial historical symbolism. The original formal gardens date back to 1903 under Edith Roosevelt, while the modern Rose Garden layout was redesigned in the early 1960s by Rachel Lambert Mellon at the request of John F. Kennedy. For decades, the space has hosted presidential press conferences, bill signings, diplomatic ceremonies and state events.
Trump has argued the lawn is impractical for modern use. During a March interview on Fox News, he complained that "the grass just, it doesn't work," particularly during formal outdoor events where women wearing high heels "fall into the wet grass."
Beyond the Rose Garden project, Trump has also proposed constructing a $100 million ballroom modeled after the Grand Ballroom at Mar-a-Lago. No official timeline or finalized funding structure for that proposal has been released publicly.
