The White House Rose Garden is no longer just about roses. President Donald Trump has converted the historic outdoor space — its plush lawn replaced with a white stone patio — into a gallery of American founding figures, and the provenance of at least some of those statues is drawing scrutiny.
According to the White House, the statue of George Washington on display in the garden was lent by Harlan Crow, the Texas-based real estate tycoon and Republican megadonor who made national headlines for his friendship with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Representatives for Crow did not respond to email messages from the Associated Press seeking comment.
The Franklin and Hamilton statues were provided by anonymous donors, the White House confirmed. A fourth sculpture, 'Freedom's Charge' — a 14-foot bronze depiction of two Revolutionary War soldiers — was relocated from Dallas. Its sculptor, Chas Fagan, did not respond to requests for comment.
The most recent addition is a bronze of Thomas Jefferson seated and signing the Declaration of Independence, a gift from George Lundeen, a sculptor from Loveland, Colorado. Lundeen said he had kept the piece at his ranch for decades before deciding to send it to the White House in time for July Fourth celebrations of America's 250th birthday. It arrived late — held up on a truck during heavy security around the holiday events — but Trump saw photos and approved it for the Rose Garden.
Trump personally called Lundeen to express his appreciation. 'Hi, George. It's your favorite president, Donald Trump, and I just wanted to thank you,' the president said in a voicemail recording Lundeen shared with the AP. 'The sculpture, it looks really beautiful … just by the picture I can see it's really incredible, and we have a wonderful place right in the Rose Garden, and I appreciate it.'
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle defended the renovations in sweeping terms. 'From restoring our treasured landmarks, which had suffered years of abuse and vandalism, to cleaning our parks and the Reflecting Pool, President Trump's bold vision ensured that America rang in its 250th birthday celebration with glory and pride,' Ingle said. He added that Trump continues to make 'long-overdue and necessary' renovations to the White House.
The Rose Garden overhaul is one piece of a broader renovation agenda. Trump has also overseen a gilded makeover of the Oval Office and is having a ballroom and helipad built on the south grounds. A Christopher Columbus statue was installed on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in March. Trump's larger ambition is a National Garden of American Heroes near the National Mall featuring sculptures of 250 Americans.
CEO Times take: The statues themselves — Washington, Hamilton, Franklin, Jefferson — represent the founding architecture of American self-governance and free enterprise. That private citizens and donors are funding their display, rather than the taxpayer, is consistent with the principle that civil beautification need not run through a federal appropriations line. The Crow connection will generate noise in progressive circles, but the relevant question is simpler: are the loans properly disclosed, and do they comply with gift rules governing federal property? The White House has acknowledged the arrangement; the paper trail now exists. Capital and civic pride are not mutually exclusive — but transparency is the price of credibility.
