Members of Congress listen as President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner in the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump sits with Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., left, and Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, at a dinner in the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Trump hosts White House dinner for GOP lawmakers at paved space he dubbed ‘Rose Garden Club’
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 President Donald Trump hosted a dinner Friday night for members of Congress in the newly paved White House Rose Garden, telling them they were the first gathering of what he dubbed the 鈥淩ose Garden Club.鈥
Members of Congress listen as President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner in the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 President Donald Trump hosted a dinner Friday night for members of Congress in the newly paved White House Rose Garden, telling them they were the first gathering of what he dubbed the 鈥淩ose Garden Club.鈥
The president held a microphone as he addressed about 100 people, mostly House Republicans along with some GOP senators, thanking them for their support of his legislation.
鈥淲e call it the Rose Garden Club. And it鈥檚 a club for senators, for congresspeople and for people in Washington, and frankly, people that can bring peace and success to our country,鈥 Trump said.
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Trump said he intended for the tech executives he dined with Thursday night, including Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, to be the first ones to enjoy the space. That dinner was moved indoors due to rain.
鈥淚 had the high-tech guys here, and they didn鈥檛 want to have rain on top of their beautiful heads,鈥 Trump told the lawmakers.
Among the changes Trump has made to renovate and remake the White House has been his decision to pave over the grassy lawn in , where he set up tables, chairs and umbrellas that look strikingly similar to the outdoor setup at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
