Melania's New White House Rose Garden Is Fittingly Joyless and Empty
PoliticsAs I write this blog from the smoke-choked Bay Area, where ash from the historically devastating wildfires has blotted out the sun, and the few who are venturing outside are doing so in masks thanks to the unceasing pandemic that continues to ravage the country, Melania Trump has unveiled her new, bleak renovation of the White House Rose Garden.
I can see where the colorful flowers and vibrant trees that once defined the landscape would have no place on the Trump grounds, a place where joy and optimism must be crushed and replaced by brutal austerity.
According to CNN,
One of the first lady’s stated goals for the renovation was to “fulfill the dynamic needs of the modern presidency,” so part of the updated design includes modern features for audio and visual capabilities, as well as lighting and access for television cameras.
Ah yes, the cherished media, which the president holds in such high esteem. So nice of the administration to make more room for the TV cameras to capture reporters asking him questions that he won’t answer. The Washington Post reports that Trump likes “presenting himself in the Rose Garden, not just for its historic associations but because the natural light is flattering to his complexion.” If anything, the garden’s newly severe update will make his glowing head appear even more alien than it already does, like a mustard stain on a white shirt.
The Post argues that renovations were long overdo, and while that’s probably true, there must have been a way of doing it that don’t make the White House grounds look like the estate of a wealthy vampire. But then again, isn’t that basically what it is?