Overview

• The Rose Garden now has a white stone patio where the central lawn once was, with a new drainage system installed under National Park Service oversight.
• Reporters were brought to the patio as the president tested newly installed speakers using his playlist, which featured “God Bless the USA,” “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” Pavarotti’s “Nessun dorma,” and Elvis songs.
• Trump made a brief appearance and gestured to the press without taking questions, and aides said a first gathering on the patio could be held soon.
• Yellow-and-white striped umbrellas and furnishings mirror Mar-a-Lago’s look, with officials clarifying the umbrellas were from the same vendor rather than transferred; roses remain and the name stays.
• The showcase fits into a broader renovation program the White House says will be privately financed, including a proposed 90,000-square-foot East Wing ballroom expected to begin construction in September.