‘That’s something from Marie Antoinette s *** right there’: Melania Trump faces backlash over Rose Garden project amid national crises

Melania Trump has been criticized for going ahead with a renovation project for the White House Rose Garden, while the country remains under the control of a series of national crises.

The White House announced Monday that Ms. Trumps plans a “significant renovation” of the garden in a press release, stating that this “highly anticipated project” sought to “improve one of the most iconic locations on the White House grounds.” .

The project will include enhancements to broadcast and audiovisual needs, more accessible features in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and a healthier plantation environment, according to the White House.

Many social media users were quick to criticize the first lady for driving renewal despite the current coronavirus pandemic, record levels of unemployment, and civil unrest.

“With nearly 150,000 coronavirus deaths, 18 million unemployed and unemployment benefits ending, Melania will renovate the Rose Garden as her husband does nothing to alleviate pain and suffering,” one user tweeted.

Many users expressed similar sentiments, and another asked, “Why is Melania Trump announcing a Rose Garden renovation amid a national crisis? 149,000 Americans have died in a window of a few months. “

However, Mrs. Trump, referring to the renovation, said that “the very act of planting a garden involves a lot of work and hope in the possibility of a bright future.”

Former California Congresswoman Katie Hill chastised Mrs. Trump on Twitter, writing, “That sucks for Marie Antoinette right there.”

Antoinette, the last queen of France, started showing trends on Twitter after the comment, which received more than 19,500 likes, and users said the renovation was a “let them eat cake” moment.

The quote is the most famous phrase attributed to the queen, allegedly made in response to being told that her peasant subjects were starving.

“Get a real ‘let them eat cake’ vibe here,” said journalist Dan Rather.

Others have claimed that the timing of renewal is insensitive in light of the backdrop of national civil unrest across the country following the death of George Floyd.

In particular, the garden provided the setting for Donald Trump’s now-notorious “law and order” speech by the President on June 1 with the sounds of police firing tear gas at protesters in Washington audible behind him.

The garden has been the site of many other touching Trump press conferences amid the pandemic and national protests, often acting as the setting for executive order announcements, speeches, and interviews with the president in a time of national emergency.

Most recently, Trump has delivered lengthy news conferences akin to a campaign in the garden, using the space to launch political attacks on his Democratic competition Joe Biden.

However, the garden has historically functioned as a characteristic showcase of power used by presidents for decades, a point that FLOTUS has used to justify its renovation.

“The White House and the Rose Garden have always been a symbol of our strength, resistance and continuity,” Trump said Monday.

The renovations will be supported by the National Park Service and funded by private donations and are said to have been in progress for a year, The New York Times reported.

It will also return the rose garden to its original 1962 project in an attempt to renovate the design first implemented by Rachel Lambert “Bunny” Mellon during the Kennedy administration, the White House said.

Historians have noted the importance of this historic design and predicted that the project may be a way for Mrs. Trump to instill her legacy in the 2020 presidential election, and possibly the end of her time as first lady, to come.

“One reading of this project is that perhaps Mrs. Trump feels she has a relatively short time in the White House,” said Katherine Jellison, an Ohio University professor who studies first ladies. The times.

“And if you’re going to make your mark as Jackie Kennedy did in her short time, such a project would be appropriate.”

The project comes as the country records record levels of unemployment across the country with approximately 32 million people receiving unemployment assistance in the U.S., according to the Department of Labor.

Last week, jobless claims increased for the first time since the pandemic began in March, with approximately 1.4 million people applying for assistance.

Claims increase as the coronavirus pandemic continues across the country, with more than four million confirmed cases in the United States and 147,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Still, Trump insisted that restoration will be beneficial in exemplifying the “dedication of the country to American ideals.”

“Preserving the history and beauty of the White House and its grounds is a testament to our nation’s commitment to caring for this landscape and our dedication to American ideals, protecting them for our children and their children for future generations,” he said. .