As the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States approaches, U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to leave his mark on various landmarks in the capital, Washington. According to a report by the Washington Post on June 28, Trump is considering further transforming Lafayette Square on the north side of the White House, planting 47 trees there to coincide with his status as the 47th President of the United States.
La Fayette Square is located north of the White House and is part of the President’s Park, managed by the National Park Service. Since January this year, contractors have been working on renovating the square. Two people familiar with White House plans revealed that Trump referred to the square as “the entrance to the White House.” He wanted to plant 47 maple trees, which are his favorite tree species.
According to reports, some trees on Lafayette Square were removed during the renovation project. It is not clear how many more trees the Trump administration plans to plant to meet the goal. However, White House officials warned that since Trump frequently intervenes in construction projects, nothing is finalized until he officially announces his decisions.
Trump inspected Lafayette Square on the 28th local time. He posted on social media that the renovation work of the square was nearly completed, and only some paving stones needed to be replaced. He boasted, "Since Lafayette Square was built in 1820, it has never been so beautiful!"
Trump previously stated that Lafayette Square would reopen before Independence Day on July 4. However, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that this goal is unlikely to be achieved, and the square may not open until August.
La Fayette Square 《The Washington Post》
The White House and the U.S. Department of Interior have refused to comment on issues such as Trump’s tree planting plan, the costs involved in renovating Lafayette Square, and the opening date of the square. The Department of Interior only stated in a statement that “the project for Lafayette Square should have been carried out long ago, and we appreciate the President’s priority in renovating such a landmark before the 250th anniversary celebration of the United States.”
Trump claimed that the renovation project of Lafayette Square received millions of dollars in funding, but he provided no evidence to support this claim. The U.S. government has not publicly released the contract documents for the project, nor has it submitted any detailed plans to the Federal Review Committee before the project began.
The Washington Post noted that Trump had a special affection for maple trees. In April 2020, as part of World Earth Day activities, Trump planted a maple tree on the south lawn of the White House. He praised the maple tree, saying, "That is a beautiful, straight trunk. It’s a 3A-grade tree—simply amazing."
Since Trump began his second term, he has pushed a series of renovations and construction projects. This includes spending $600 million to build a banquet hall on the East Side of the White House, and proposing the construction of a 76-meter-high Arc de Triumph in Washington. Recently, the Trump administration also spent $14 million to renovate the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial. However, less than two weeks after the renovation, problems such as algae outbreaks and peeling coatings occurred in the reflecting pool.
