The White House belonged to the people

[The Blue Flower]

Or so I thought. There should be some official approval process in place for the changes he's making to it. All the gilt turds thrown against the walls, the destruction of the historic Rose Garden by a beloved First Lady. The renovations he's announcing now. What if he decides to put in a dungeon or an abbatoir?

[dweller]

1. We should demand

A padded rubber room for him




✌🏻

[ZDU]

2. A DUNGEON!

(to drop his fat ass into ASAP)

[Igel]

3. The historic rose garden lost grass.

That can be replaced easily enough.

During Trump 1.0, though, the actual decorations of the rose garden were apparently gutted completely. Going by what I read here, I thought they ripped out the roses. Jacqueline Kennedy had magnolia and crab apple trees planted and lots of tulips (which suddenly explains why my mother insisted on a crab tree in the backyard of my childhood house and tulips in the front--house was built in very early '63). Trump 1.0 had roses put back in--well, Melania did. https://www.britannica.com/place/White-House-Rose-Garden

For the actual White House, there's this fluffy piece of pop-brow writing, and a probably AI-generated site of sketchiness and pushiness that talks about ultimate authority and tempering influences.

Personally, I was surprised to learn that the Clintons did a redo of the state dining room. But I knew that some things had been completely redone--I think some room (press briefing room?) used to be an indoor pool, for instance.

https://www.veranda.com/outdoor-garden/a33793720/white-house-rose-garden-history/ has pictures of the Rose Garden at various times, from the Kennedy's rose-less one to the first one with lots of paths and the 1913 one that had walkways reminscent of the Trump 1.0 limestone border.

On update: Apparently the president has a lot of say over what's done, with the White House Historical Association, EPA rules, and some preservation rules lurking as constraints. Looking at the design for the ballroom, it could easily be a design from 1860 or 1900, so stylistically it's not jarring, but it also disturbs nothing much historic but part of a wall and some dirt that might be interesting for an archeologist to rummage in prior to excavation. Renovating the rest of the East Wing, now that's getting to some touchy construction.

Wiki says that the White House East Wing really dates to 1942. Learning all kinds of useless trivia today.

[electric_blue68]

7. The historic photos at tge link were very interesting. TY.

[Skittles]

4. where is DOGE on Trump's chronic WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE

WTF

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. Trump's Desecration of the Rose Garden

In critiquing Trump's Desecration of the Rose Garden Part II, "the drainage gates are in the shapes [sic] of American flags" metaphor went right over johnny maga's little head.

— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social) 2025-08-01T23:32:12.842Z

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Initech]

6. It is not his house. It is not Rupert Murdoch's house.

These shitbags need to be thrown out now.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

8. Past, Present and Future