At least 2 historic magnolia trees, Kennedy Garden appear to have been removed to make way for Trump's White House ballroom

ABC News ^ | 10/23/25 | Peter Charalambous, Kerem Inal, and Chris Looft

[DallasBiff]

Legend says that George Washington once chopped down his father's cherry tree.

Satellite images show President Donald Trump's project to build a $300 million grand ballroom has appeared to take down at least six trees on the White House grounds -- including two historic magnolia trees commemorating Presidents Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The satellite images released on Thursday provide the fullest picture yet of the extent of the demolition work on the White House's East Wing and its effect on the surrounding parkland -- changes made without consulting the government commission established by federal law to ensure the preservation and integrity of government buildings in D.C., according to former commission officials who spoke to ABC News.

[The Antiyuppie]

I’m getting the vapors. And I was born well north of the Mason-Dixon line.

[Empire_of_Liberty]

Trump is a genius! He’s gutting the Left and he has the MSM talking about magnolia trees.

[Lizavetta]

All of a sudden, ABC News is interested in investigative journalism.

Apparently, they're all of a sudden caring about dead trees at the White House but not from Newsom's and Karen Bass' burned up trees and people.

WHERE IS THE FIRE AID MONEY FOR THE FIRE VICTIMS OF LOS ANGELES? It went to a bunch of connected "nonprofits", "NGOs", and "coalitions" and disappeared into the ether.

And the press is not the least bit curious.

[1Old Pro]

ABC News eh? I guess their new “news” President isn’t doing anything differently.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

“Poor little Earthlings. Who can save you now..”—Ming the Merciless”

https://petapixel.com/2013/02/28/photos-of-the-white-house-gutted-during-its-truman-reconstruction/

[mewzilla]

Check out the authors.

How the mighty have fallen, ABC...

[rlmorel]

Folks: This is derived from an utterly brilliant article from AMAC. The contrast they present is so striking and obvious, that I cannot even feel anger. It made me laugh, how vapidly stupid it makes the media look.

In summary, you want to see how deranged and double-standardized the Left of today is, from the Leftists in government, to their collaborative Leftist Media, to the "Rank and File" Leftists on the street screeching in outrage, watch these two links in quick succession:

LINK: CNN covers the 2010 Obama renovation of the White House that cost $376 million dollars and added a basketball court.

LINK: CNN covers the 2025 Trump renovation of the East Wing projected to cost $300 million dollars to add a ball room and upgrade the Presidential Bunker.

Compare the facial expressions on the CNN talking head both then, and now. They were happy and joyful in 2010, that was so much fun, and today, it is the end of democracy as we know it! This is so stark it is hilarious.

And the Leftist Media, particularly CNN, wonders why fewer and fewer people are tuning in to hear what they have to say.

[sauropod]

.

[cp124]

This is all they got? They are in big big trouble.

[central_va]

Omg call this Ballgate.

[Clutch Martin]

Poplar shreds and tears, gets fuzzy when sanded and is unsuitable for lots of applications. Makes good sides and backs of drawers because it’s inexpensive and doesn’t stain or dye well. I took 14 truckloads of poplar branches to the landfill after the last hurricane passed by, a lost some white oak but planked that because it’s impervious to insects and rot. Didn’t lose any oak ir hickory.

[mbrfl]

What makes them historic? If you dig down into the article you find that the trees were planted in 1947, one to commemorate Harding and one to commemorate Roosevelt. But the Harding Magnolia was actually a tree that had been planted in 1902 and was moved in 1947 to become the Harding Magnolia. As far as what it means to commemorate a tree (is it legally protected, etc.?), I don’t know and the article doesn’t give details. Either way, there are more important issues facing the country which is why the left wants to talk about this instead.

[Verginius Rufus]

Parson Weems invented the cherry tree story after Washington was dead and couldn’t contradict him, but he didn’t claim that Washington chopped down the tree, rather that he cut the bark around the tree in a circle causing the tree to die.

[blitz128]

lol there are so many trees around the WH, one can barely see it now.

Trees tend to do that, my sons 8th grade earth day pine turned into a 50 foot monster I had to cut down, never thought it would make it, well it showed me😂

[Sacajaweau]

Trump is in Japan now. The new female head of their government is gifting us with 250 Cherry Trees.

So, take your "historic" cough, cough and....well....

Nothing special about the trees.....Magnolia trees all over the place....cuz Jefferson liked them.

[Sacajaweau]

Trump is in Japan now with their new female leader. She just said that Japan was gifting us with 250 Cherry Trees.

[Sacajaweau]

250 Trees for our countries 250th Birthday.

[ViLaLuz]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ElJFYwRtrH4

[DPMD]

Thanks for the correction. I’ve used small pieces of poplar bought at Home Depot and it seemed okay, but I’m definitely not a furniture maker.

[DollyCali]

Grasping at straws are they?