Melania Trump Did Not Spell Out “KKK” in the White House Rose Garden
The Claim
Melania Trump intentionally had shrubs planted to spell out “KKK” (short for the white supremacy hate group Ku Klux Klan) in her renewal of the White House Rose Garden.
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Emerging story
Melania Trump unveiled her revamped White House Rose Garden on Aug. 22, 2020. In the photos, you can see the geometric pattern that many social media users claim spells out “KKK.” Melania’s tweet of the photos appears to have launched the allegations.
But social media users didn’t stop there. The fact that the revamped garden featured a more subdued color scheme (shades of white, cream and pink) than the original, sparked allegations that Trump’s entire garden was a tribute to white supremacy.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation shows this story to be false. While the Rose Garden dates back to 1913, it was redone by President Kennedy and his wife in 1962. The alleged “KKK” geometric pattern is actually a very popular formal garden design — and was put in place by the Kennedys. Melania Trump’s redesign of the garden may have made the geometric pattern more visible, but it was not her idea, as evidenced by this photo of the Rose Garden under construction in 1962.
