The grandson of former President John F Kennedy has launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump for bulldozing his grandmother Jackie Kennedy’s prized rose garden to make way for a ballroom at the White House in Washington, DC.

Jack Schlossberg posted a fiery rant on Instagram, accusing the President of having ‘poured concrete’ on the White House’s historic lawn. He also accused Trump of seeing America in ‘black and white,’ unlike the former First Lady.

‘My grandmother saw America in full colour — Trump sees black and white. Where she planted flowers, he poured concrete,’ he wrote.

‘She brought life to the White House, because our landmarks should inspire and grow with our country.’

‘Her Rose Garden is gone, but the spirit of the Kennedy White House lives on — in the young at heart, the strong in spirit, and in a new generation answering the call to service.’

He included in the post a picture of John F Kennedy Jr as a child, dressed in a pale blue suit and marvelling at his mother’s garden.

Construction in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Photographer: Ken Cedeno/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The other picture he included showed the lawn being carved up and resurfaced to create Trump’s ‘Rose Garden Club.’

In a statement, the White House said; ‘For 150 years, Presidents, Administrations, and White House Staff have longed for an ample event space on the White House complex that can hold substantially more guests than currently allowed. President Donald J. Trump has expressed his commitment to solving this problem on behalf of future Administrations and the American people.

‘The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet it is currently unable to host major functions honouring world leaders and other countries without installing an enormous, unsightly tent approximately 100 yards from the main building entrance.

‘The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition, totalling approximately 90,000 square feet of ornately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person capacity in the White House’s East Room.’

US President Donald Trump holds a floor plan of the planned White House Ballroom extension. Photographer: Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

President Trump and other donors have committed to funding the approximately $200 million needed to build the structure. The United States Secret Service will provide the necessary security enhancements and modifications. 

The White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said ‘President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail.’

She added, ‘The President and the White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organisations to preserve the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that future Administrations and generations of Americans can enjoy.’