Key facts
- Melania Trump and Donald Trump clashed over White House renovations, according to a new book.
- Melania Trump was reportedly unhappy with Donald Trump's plans to pave over her Rose Garden redesign.
- Donald Trump's vision for a new White House ballroom ultimately won out, leading to the demolition of the East Wing.
- Donald Trump relocated White House decor curated by Melania Trump to new locations for his own design projects.
- Melania Trump reportedly expressed disapproval of the heavily gilded Oval Office redesign.
A new book, "Regime Change," by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, details clashes between Melania Trump and Donald Trump over White House renovations during his presidency. The book, based on over 1,000 interviews, suggests Melania Trump was displeased with her husband's extensive involvement in redecorating and his alterations to her previous design choices.
According to the book, Melania Trump considered her Rose Garden redesign a proud achievement and was unhappy with Donald Trump's plan to pave over it. A compromise was eventually reached, involving stone tiles covering the grass while leaving the rosebushes intact. The new Rose Garden Club, modeled after Mar-a-Lago's outdoor terrace, was unveiled in August 2025.
Plans for a new White House ballroom also caused contention, with staffers navigating the competing desires of the president and first lady. Melania Trump reportedly preferred a quiet environment and objected to living in a construction zone, but Donald Trump's vision prevailed, leading to the demolition of the East Wing in October 2025 to accommodate the ballroom.
Furthermore, Donald Trump reportedly moved decor curated by Melania Trump during his first term to new locations as part of his own design projects. A large, gold-leaf-framed mirror, previously a centerpiece in the Queens' Bedroom redesign, was relocated to the Rose Garden colonnade and became known as the 'selfie' mirror. Similar tactics were reportedly employed in redecorating his White House bedroom, with staff caught between the couple's differing preferences.
Melania Trump also reportedly did not favor the heavily gilded Oval Office redesign. The book quotes Donald Trump telling Speaker of the House Mike Johnson that his wife is a 'minimalist' but that the Oval Office 'just looks better' with the gold. Donald Trump was known to take a hands-on approach, even using superglue to add gold decorations to the fireplace mantle himself.