Melania Trump 'Legacy' Sparks Twitter Debate After Unveiling Of White House Tennis Pavilion Renovation

Melania Trump's legacy as first lady became a topic of discussion on Twitter after she revealed that the year-long renovation of the White House tennis court area has been completed.

On Monday, the first lady unveiled the new tennis pavilion on the south grounds of the White House, along with the refurbished court and the "grandchildren’s garden." This came just months after Trump also announced her overhaul of the White House Rose Garden in August.

Her latest endeavor received mixed responses on social media, with one Twitter user saying that completing this project and the Rose Garden renovation amid the coronavirus pandemic would be Trump's legacy.

"Melania will be remembered in future history books for using her time as FLOTUS to building a tennis court, and having all the roses removed from the Rose Garden. Amazing legacy," the netizen tweeted with a rolling eyes emoji.

The post revived the debate over the changes she made to the famous Rose Garden, which included digging up the crab apple trees and swapping out the colorful tulips and other bright perennials and annuals in horticulturalist and gardener Rachel Lambert Mellon’s original design for white and pastel roses and sharp boxwood hedges.

While some expressed approval for Trump's revamp of the iconic garden commissioned by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, others were not as impressed.

"What that creature #Melania did to the rose garden is criminal. All those healthy living things she had ripped out. Quite a legacy," one said in response to a tweet about the tennis pavilion and rose garden renovations.

"She destroyed Jackie Kennedy's rose garden. On a level I can't even describe to you, she removed the trees that were put there for security," another wrote.

Some believe the changes Trump made to the garden's original design were reasonable.

"Not defending her at all but the flowers in your before picture are tulips, not roses. And the after picture does appear to be roses..." one wrote.

Another user responded, "I’m also not defending her but the crabapple trees were removed to allow the roses to get sun, something we all know is required to grow. The white flowers on the right are indeed roses. None of the roses on the property are originals of the Kennedy’s as their lifespan is over."

The crab apple trees were later replanted elsewhere on the White House grounds, NBC News reported.

Aside from removing the trees and changing the flowers, Trump also introduced improvements to make the garden more accessible for people with disabilities and a 3-foot-wide limestone walkway around the perimeter of the center lawn.