Overview

• On Sept. 5, President Trump hosted an invitation-only dinner on the renovated Rose Garden patio and introduced the space as the “Rose Garden Club.”
• Attendees included Vice President JD Vance, Cabinet officials and multiple members of Congress, according to photos and reports from the event.
• The project replaced much of the Kennedy-era lawn with a concrete patio furnished with tables and yellow-and-white striped umbrellas from the supplier used at Mar-a-Lago.
• Trump said the “club” is for senators, congresspeople and others who can “bring peace and success to our country,” while allies praised the debut and critics objected to the club-like framing.
• A White House official has described the work as a restoration focused on practical use and guest experience, and reporting notes a roughly $200 million, 90,000-square-foot East Wing ballroom is set to break ground this month.