Former President Bill Clinton recently called out Donald Trump‘s renovation of the Rose Garden in a new speech. The remarks came during a campaign stop in Hollywood, Florida. The renovation of the iconic rose garden began in June this year and ended in August.
The former president mocks the paved White House garden in Florida
Bill Clinton recently attended a campaign rally in Florida for Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly and took a jibe at the renovated White House Rose Garden. In his remark, Clinton referenced the pianist and singer Liberspace, a major sensation in the 1960s and 1970s.
He said, “I think Congress made a mistake not protesting turning the Rose Garden into what looks like the entrance to Liberace’s bathroom.” His remark prompted the crowd to erupt in laughter.
Clinton also rallied for the public to choose Jolly over the Republican candidate Byron Donalds. He added, “But, to spend $900 million and to try to justify building a model of the Arc de Triomphe, that’s better than the original, and saying I had to do this because I want to store drones in there? He (Trump) went along with all that. I think we ought to give David Jolly a chance.”
Rose Garden is one of the historic spaces at the White House, and during the White House renovations, Trump had its plush lawn replaced with a white stone patio. This led many to say that the new look makes the Rose Garden resemble Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago home.
The President had statues of important American figures in the garden, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Another sculpture, Freedom’s Charge, honoring Revolutionary War soldiers, was also added.
Apart from Clinton, former President Barack Obama has also criticized the renovations, suggesting they make the Rose Garden look like “Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.” (via HuffPost)
