Focus on the BIG picture.
Tuesday, Oct 28, 2025
Outside the box.
Kennedy Garden at White House Razed to Make Way for Trump’s Ballroom
The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden has reportedly been stripped as construction crews advance on President Trump’s planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the East Wing
The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, a historic landscaped space adjacent to the East Wing of the White House, has been cleared in recent days to facilitate President Donald Trump’s ambitious ballroom construction project.
Aerial and satellite images captured the garden’s trees, shrubs and benches removed and the surrounding lawn area converted into a construction zone.
The garden was dedicated in 1965 by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson in honour of Jacqueline Kennedy, who had led the original redesign of the East and West gardens during her husband’s presidency.
Over decades it served as a venue for outdoor ceremonies, events and artwork—hosting receptions for wounded-veteran caregivers and sculpture displays in its seasonally planted beds.
According to press reports, demolition of the adjacent East Wing began in October 2025, forming part of a larger project to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House, which now carries an estimated cost of up to $300 million.
The garden’s removal has drawn criticism from preservationists and members of the Kennedy family alike, as well as renewed debate over the project’s approval process and its impact on a national landmark.
While the White House Historical Association confirmed that the East Wing and gardens were digitally scanned and historic artifacts preserved, questions remain over whether the landscaping elements will be relocated or rebuilt, and whether the upheaval was preceded by the usual federal reviews.
Satellite imagery shows that at least two historic magnolia trees once planted as commemorative memorials have also been lost in the footprint.
Supporters of the project point to the privately funded nature of the ballroom, the need for more event space at the White House, and prior precedent for campus changes.
Critics argue that the sweeping transformation reflects a broader shift in how the executive mansion is being reshaped.
Still, regardless of its legacy, the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden has fallen silent and its signature blooms are now a memory amid the heavy machinery and rubble of redevelopment.
Aerial and satellite images captured the garden’s trees, shrubs and benches removed and the surrounding lawn area converted into a construction zone.
The garden was dedicated in 1965 by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson in honour of Jacqueline Kennedy, who had led the original redesign of the East and West gardens during her husband’s presidency.
Over decades it served as a venue for outdoor ceremonies, events and artwork—hosting receptions for wounded-veteran caregivers and sculpture displays in its seasonally planted beds.
According to press reports, demolition of the adjacent East Wing began in October 2025, forming part of a larger project to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House, which now carries an estimated cost of up to $300 million.
The garden’s removal has drawn criticism from preservationists and members of the Kennedy family alike, as well as renewed debate over the project’s approval process and its impact on a national landmark.
While the White House Historical Association confirmed that the East Wing and gardens were digitally scanned and historic artifacts preserved, questions remain over whether the landscaping elements will be relocated or rebuilt, and whether the upheaval was preceded by the usual federal reviews.
Satellite imagery shows that at least two historic magnolia trees once planted as commemorative memorials have also been lost in the footprint.
Supporters of the project point to the privately funded nature of the ballroom, the need for more event space at the White House, and prior precedent for campus changes.
Critics argue that the sweeping transformation reflects a broader shift in how the executive mansion is being reshaped.
Still, regardless of its legacy, the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden has fallen silent and its signature blooms are now a memory amid the heavy machinery and rubble of redevelopment.
