Topics: Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Politics, US News, Social Media
People have drawn parallels to how Donald Trump left casinos 'bankrupt' to the new White House Rose Garden.
Long before Trump tiptoed into politics, the businessman built a bit of an empire in the real estate world.
He opened Trump Plaza, a hotel and casino, on the boardwalk of Atlantic City in 1984, followed by Trump's Castle (then renamed to Trump Marina) the year after before turning to open the gigantic Trump Taj Mahal Casino in 1990.
However, Trump Entertainment Resorts ended up filing for bankruptcy three times between 2004 and 2014, before eventually closing most of its gambling and casino spots in 2016.
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Trump had rinsed his hands of many of the properties, some of which have been taken on by other companies, while others formed a path of deserted and derelict towering buildings along the boardwalk.
Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino was only demolished in 2021, and came tumbling down to the excitement of many locals who even paid to watch the eyesore finally removed in a chapter they called 'historic' for the New Jersey city.
Now as the 47th president of the United States, Trump has made some major changes to the White House with more construction plans on the way to expand the East Wing with a $200 million ballroom.
One such notable makeover has been his changes to the infamous White House Rose Garden lawn which borders the Oval Office and the West Wing.
The history of the garden dates back to at least 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt and First Lady Edith Roosevelt established a 'proper colonial garden.'
The lawn was given its formal name just over a decade later by First Lady Ellen Louise Axson Wilson, wife of then President Woodrow Wilson, while Franklin D. Roosevelt commissioned a redesign in 1935.
Fast forward to 1961, President John F. Kennedy also made way for a revamp to the Rose Garden which included extensive repair work and the establishment of a defined central lawn and French-style flower beds.
This specific layout pretty much stood the test of time - up until the Trump's moved in in 2020.
First Lady Melania Trump initially commissioned a renovation to the garden that year as well as the creation of a new limestone walk.
Some observers weren't best pleased with the new look, calling it 'sterile', 'bland' and 'devoid of any joy,' reported Vogue at the time.
Presidential historian Michael Beschloss also slammed it as an 'evisceration' of American history.
However, if critics thought that was bad enough, Trump himself has since had his hands on the garden, having recently ordered to remove the entirety of the lawned grass to make way for a paved patio.
Revealing the completed redesign on August 1, critics have pointed out the vibrant green space is looking a lot more grey.
"Trump turned Jackie Kennedy’s Rose Garden into a parking lot. Sad day for history and nature," said one critic on Twitter.
"Very sad picture. It looks like the tombstone he has put on the US economy," chimed another.
A third added: "Looks awful. Devoid of life. Just more concrete in the concrete jungle."
Another then joked in reaction to the image: "I'm beginning to figure out how [Trump] bankrupted several casinos."
The late comedian Robin Williams appeared to make a similar jibe about the appearance - or the legacy - of Trump's real estate back in 2012.
Speaking from the stage in a stand-up gig, the father-of-three had discussed spending Thanksgiving in Atlantic City and taking a stroll along the boardwalk as like 'Wizard of Oz on acid' with 'junkies, pimps and pizza, oh my!'
"And Donald Trump is the Wizard of Oz, he is the guy. He plays monopoly with real f**king buildings, this is a scary man," Williams added.
Meanwhile, White House officials defended the 'restoration' as having 'respect for the history of the White House and for the Rose Garden.'
