A new book, “Regime Change,” claims to reveal disagreements between Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump over White House renovations and their differing approaches to the residence’s design.
The President and First Lady reportedly fought over White House renovations
According to Business Insider, the authors revealed that Trump “pushed back on a few specific points” during their hour-long interview for the book, while largely not disputing their findings. For “Regime Change,” New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan also interviewed more than 1,000 people close to Trump as part of their reporting.
Melania Trump considered redesigning the Rose Garden since Trump’s first term. Redesigning included a limestone border around the lawn and roses in pastel shades. She called it “one of her proudest achievements.” She showed her displeasure with the president’s idea to pave it.
Haberman and Swan added, “Mrs Trump, who preferred a quiet environment with minimal disturbances and objected to living in a construction zone, had repeatedly expressed concern about the size and location of the ballroom.”
Moreover, Melania and Trump eventually agreed that rosebushes would be left alone and stone tiles would cover the grass. The Rose Garden, revealed in August 2025, was modeled after the “Mar-a-Lago” outdoor terrace.
The book also claims that Donald Trump used a similar approach while redecorating his bedroom in the White House residence, where he and Melania Trump reportedly have separate rooms. The situation allegedly left staff members feeling “caught between the two Trumps” in the weeks following the inauguration.
According to the book, the alleged disagreements reflected the couple’s different preferences, with Melania favoring a quieter and more minimal design while Trump preferred a more elaborate style. Neither Trump nor Melania has publicly responded to the claims.
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE ALLEGED DISAGREEMENT OVER THE WHITE HOUSE DECOR?