Overview

• Trump said workers for a gardening subcontractor dragged a defective steel cart across the newly laid limestone, leaving a crack roughly 23 meters long.
• He posted White House surveillance footage on Truth Social that he says shows the damage being caused and praised the security system for capturing it.
• He announced the subcontractor will not be allowed to work at the White House again and said the contractor will be billed to replace the stone.
• The Rose Garden was recently remodeled during the summer, with turf replaced by stone paving as part of the administration’s high‑profile redesigns.
• The clash comes as preparations advance for a $200 million ballroom project slated to start in September, which has drawn criticism over cost and style.