Thousands sign petition urging Jill Biden to uproot Melania Trump’s Rose Garden work

The people have spoken.

A petition has been launched urging Jill Biden to wipe out the changes to the White House Rose Garden made by her predeccessor Melania Trump.

In August 2020, the former First Lady carried out a month-long overhaul of the area – replacing the vibrant colorful flowers with white and pastel roses, as well as digging up some of the trees.

The Change.org petition, titled Restore Jackie Kennedy’s Rose Garden, is calling on Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff to restore the garden to its former radiance.

A statement on the dedicated site reads: “In 2019, Melania Trump had the cherry trees, a gift from Japan, removed as well as the rest of the foliage and replaced with a boring tribute to herself.

“Jackie’s legacy was ripped away from Americans who remembered all that the Kennedy’s meant to us.”

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According to Reuters, the former administration’s decision to uproot 10 crabapple trees – which the petition incorrectly described as cherry trees – also came under fire.

However, the news agency also pointed out that some of the criticisms of the Trump redesign were based on false claims.

The White House has reassured concerned citizens that Kennedy’s trees were not destroyed, but will soon be planted in another section of the grounds.

The garden has been used by many presidents over the years, including Joe Biden and Donald Trump, to deliver speeches and addresses.

It also happened to be the site of the infamous September 2020 super-spreader event, which saw multiple Trump associates become infected with Covid-19.

The origins of the blooming rose garden can be traced back to a trip John F Kennedy and his wife Jackie made to France, England and Austria in 1961.

The then president believed that the White House garden didn’t compare in “attractiveness” to what he’d seen in Europe, according to reports.

Therefore, Jackie oversaw a significant renovation of the site which was completed in 1962.

In 1965, her successor First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson renamed the East Garden “Jacqueline Kennedy Garden” to honor her contributions.

We’re excited to see whether Biden and Emhoff decide to rise to the challenge and get their pruning gloves on...