--- title: "Trump replaces Rose Garden lawn with patio, adds founder statues" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-replaces-rose-garden-lawn-with-patio-adds-founder-statues" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/trump-replaces-rose-garden-lawn-with-patio-adds-founder-statues" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-replaces-rose-garden-lawn-with-patio-adds-founder-statues.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/trump-replaces-rose-garden-lawn-with-patio-adds-founder-statues" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-22T12:46:42.716Z" source_reported: "2026-08-22T12:17:00.000Z" updated: "2026-08-22T14:00:19.896Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-22T14:00:19.828614+00:00" --- # Trump replaces Rose Garden lawn with patio, adds founder statues *Renovations to the White House grounds include historical figures and a new stone patio.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports and seven digests corroborate the central claims about the Rose Garden renovations. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. The reporting clearly separates facts from comment and provides specific details about the statues and their origins. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. The language used is neutral and descriptive, with no sensationalism or manufactured urgency. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - President Donald Trump has replaced the White House Rose Garden's lawn with a white stone patio. - Statues of American founders, including Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Ben Franklin, have been added to the garden. - A bronze depiction of Thomas Jefferson signing the Declaration of Independence was a gift from sculptor George Lundeen. - These renovations are part of a wider series of updates to the White House and its grounds undertaken by Trump. President Donald Trump has overseen renovations to the White House Rose Garden, replacing its lawn with a white stone patio and installing statues of American founders. The changes transform the outdoor space near the Oval Office. At least one statue, a bronze depiction of Thomas Jefferson signing the Declaration of Independence, was a gift from sculptor George Lundeen. Other statues displayed include those of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Ben Franklin. A fifth sculpture, titled “Freedom’s Charge,” is also on the patio. These updates are part of a broader series of White House renovations initiated by Trump. ## Statue origins and details The Thomas Jefferson statue was created by George Lundeen decades ago and was sent to the White House for display around the 250th birthday of America. Steven Barber, a collaborator, contacted White House contacts on Lundeen's behalf. While the statue did not arrive in time for July Fourth celebrations, Trump saw photos and decided to place it in the Rose Garden. Trump called Lundeen to thank him, leaving a voicemail that Lundeen shared with the Associated Press. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle stated that Trump has done more to beautify the White House and its surroundings than any other president. The statue of George Washington was lent by Harlan Crow. Details on the Franklin and Hamilton statues indicate they came from anonymous donors. The origin of the “Freedom’s Charge” sculpture is attributed to sculptor Chas Fagan. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mentioned the cost of the renovations to the White House Rose Garden or the broader White House updates. ## Who covered it Shares of the 14 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 57% (8) - Centre: 36% (5) - Right: 7% (1) 0 of 14 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-22T14:00:19.828614+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-22T14:45:18.782Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports from Associated Press News, The Toronto Star, NiagaraFallsReview.ca, The Independent, and The Independent (US) focused on the physical changes to the Rose Garden. They highlighted the replacement of the lawn with a stone patio and the addition of statues of American founders. These reports noted that the Thomas Jefferson statue was a gift from sculptor George Lundeen and mentioned other founders like Washington, Hamilton, and Franklin. The Associated Press report also detailed Trump's broader plans for White House renovations and his interest in statues, including a planned National Garden of American Heroes. The Independent and The Independent (US) digests specifically mentioned the addition of founder statues. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports from Washington Top News, Winnipeg Free Press, and WPLG focused on the physical transformation of the Rose Garden, noting the new stone patio and the addition of founder statues. Washington Top News, which provided a full report, detailed the origins of the statues, including the Jefferson statue gifted by George Lundeen and the Washington statue lent by Harlan Crow. It also mentioned the “Freedom’s Charge” sculpture and statues of Franklin and Hamilton from anonymous donors. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle's comments about Trump's beautification efforts and the president's broader plans for statues were also included. WKMG's digest also noted the addition of founder statues. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 7 - veryHigh: 6 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/08/inside-trumps-remake-of-the-white-house-rose-garden-first-a-stone-patio-then-statues) — Inside Trump’s remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/08/22/inside-trumps-remake-of-the-white-house-rose-garden-first-a-stone-patio-then-statues) — Inside Trump's remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/inside-trumps-remake-of-the-white-house-rose-garden-first-a-stone-patio-then-statues/article_d66f4a80-e5df-57c9-84fa-77bbd55cffbe.html) — Inside Trump’s remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [NiagaraFallsReview.ca](https://niagarafallsreview.ca/news/world/united-states/inside-trumps-remake-of-the-white-house-rose-garden-first-a-stone-patio-then-statues/article_b72e4ed9-f9a1-5791-a97a-e427db7ea714.html) — Inside Trump’s remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/inside-trumps-remake-of-the-white-house-rose-garden-first-a-stone-patio-then-statues) — Inside Trump’s remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/donald-trump-white-house-oval-office-thomas-jefferson-america-b3037509.html) — Inside Trump's remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/trump-rose-garden-historical-statues-founders-sculptures-0fe922ef11337b4937adf3ac505e9b5b) — Inside Trump's remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [WPLG](https://local10.com/news/national/2026/08/22/inside-trumps-remake-of-the-white-house-rose-garden-first-a-stone-patio-then-statues) — Inside Trump's remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/politics/2026/08/22/inside-trumps-remake-of-the-white-house-rose-garden-first-a-stone-patio-then-statues) — Inside Trump's remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/donald-trump-white-house-oval-office-thomas-jefferson-america-b3037509.html) — Inside Trump's remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [Bangor Daily News](https://bangordailynews.com/2026/08/22/nation/inside-trumps-remake-of-the-white-house-rose-garden-first-a-stone-patio-then-statues) — Inside Trump's remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [KTEN](https://kten.com/inside-trumps-remake-of-the-white-house-rose-garden-first-a-stone-patio-then-statues/article_aa72edbe-4a1a-5977-88ac-08c8b0fa49a1.html) — Inside Trump's remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [Oskaloosa Herald](https://oskaloosa.com/news/national_news/inside-trumps-remake-of-the-white-house-rose-garden-first-a-stone-patio-then-statues/article_c95a2c2f-9eaf-5b52-b7e5-6484fda2e9f4.html) — Inside Trump's remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues - [Bozeman Daily Chronicle](https://bozemandailychronicle.com/wire/national/inside-trumps-remake-of-the-white-house-rose-garden-first-a-stone-patio-then-statues/article_a3af87b5-d8de-5765-a0ef-2611c9721b45.html) — Inside Trump's remake of the White House Rose Garden. First a stone patio, then statues ## Questions **What changes have been made to the White House Rose Garden?** President Donald Trump has replaced the Rose Garden's lawn with a white stone patio and added statues of American founders. These include depictions of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Ben Franklin, along with a sculpture titled “Freedom’s Charge.” **Who gifted the Thomas Jefferson statue?** The bronze depiction of Thomas Jefferson signing the Declaration of Independence was a gift from sculptor George Lundeen. He had created the sculpture decades earlier and sent it to the White House for display. **Which other statues are in the Rose Garden?** Besides the Thomas Jefferson statue, the Rose Garden now features statues of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Ben Franklin. A fifth sculpture, “Freedom’s Charge,” is also present on the patio. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-replaces-rose-garden-lawn-with-patio-adds-founder-statues. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Trump replaces Rose Garden lawn with patio, adds founder statues", https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-replaces-rose-garden-lawn-with-patio-adds-founder-statues