Melania Trump hits back at historian who mocked her White House garden redesign

Melania Trump has hit back at a historian who criticised her redesign of the White House garden during her time as First Lady to former US President Donald Trump.

Michael Beschloss, presidential historian and author, says the approach Melania, 51, to took to the redesign of the residence during the couple's time in office, and in particular her work on the White House Rose Garden, was nothing short of an "evisceration".

He posted on Twitter as the garden redesign approaches its one-year anniversary: "Evisceration of White House Rose Garden was completed a year ago this month, and here was the grim result—decades of American history made to disappear."

The photo he chose to use to illustrate his point is particularly grim and sunless and doesn't show any flowers in bloom.

Beschloss' tweet began trending shortly after he posted it, with followers keen to pile on Melania, but the former First Lady was quick to hit back.

Pointing out Beschloss used a photo before the roses she had chosen were in bloom, Melania tweeted back: "@BeschlossDC has proven his ignorance by showing a picture of the Rose Garden in its infancy. The Rose Garden is graced with a healthy & colourful blossoming of roses.

"His misleading information is dishonorable & he should never be trusted as a professional historian."

Melania unveiled her renovations of the The Rose Garden at the White House in August 2020, the work having been funded by private donations. The former First Lady said she wanted to return the garden to its roots and honour the original design by Bunny Mellon, who carried out the wishes of President John F. Kennedy in 1962.

At the time she was criticised for removing crab apple trees, which were also planted during Kennedy's time in office, but explained they were creating too much shade for other plants to flourish.

The subtle shades chosen by Melania were contrasted with the more brightly-coloured flowers planted during Barack and Michelle Obama's time in office.

Melania shared on Instagram at the time: "Even in the most difficult times, the @WhiteHouse Rose Garden has stood as a symbol of strength & continuity. Today, it is my pleasure to announce our plans to renew & restore this iconic space so that we preserve its history & beauty for generations to come."

Current First Lady Jill Biden recently praised the roses chosen by Melania in the following tweet.

"Spring is here at the @WhiteHouse!' Biden wrote on Twitter along with a photo of the beautiful design.

It's common for presidents' wives to make their mark on the White House through decorating and refurbishing; Jackie Kennedy's famous Rose Garden is just one example.

According to The Washington Post, Melania similarly left her legacy on the property through some decorative additions and projects she undertook.

"They included a bronze statue by Isamu Noguchi, a restoration of the East Room and new fabrics to replace sun-damaged upholstery and walls in the Red Room," the publication reports.

Melania also oversaw the modernisation of the subbasement curatorial storage room and had historical wooden doors restored.

Her redesign of The Rose Garden was one of her final acts as First Lady.

Melania and Donald Trump are based at their Florida estate Mar-a-Lago resort since leaving the White House in early 2021.

In the book Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency, journalist Michael Wolff says the couple will often dine together at the resort and regularly joined by family and supporters.