President Donald Trump returned to the White House Sunday night to find new additions to the Rose Garden patio. He acknowledged the changes while declining to answer reporter questions about the ongoing war with Iran.
White House’s Rose Garden gets new makeover
The White House Rose Garden received two new statues over the weekend while the president initiated a surprise bombing campaign against Iranian targets. Upon returning to the White House on the night of February 1, Trump was greeted by the sculptures in the corners of the paved-over garden area. The two statues are the latest additions to the White House Rose Garden, which underwent significant changes last June when the traditional garden area became a paved patio.
The statues appear to be of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. According to PBS White House correspondent Liz Landers, the sculptures were not present when the president left for Texas on Friday. Additionally, CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes reported on the scene as the president disembarked from Marine One. When reporters shouted questions about the American attacks on Iran and the three service members who died during the military operation, Trump did not respond.
“He did not answer those questions,” Holmes told CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins. “He did have some positive praise, and I don’t want to quote exactly, because I don’t have it written down what he said, but he praised the statue in the garden, and then he left.”
The president announced the aerial bombing campaign against Iran after attending a black-tie event at Mar-a-Lago earlier that evening. He was seen grooving to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” at the event.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was confirmed dead after Saturday’s strikes. Several Iranian senior officials, including the Minister of Defense and the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), were also reported killed.
