WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House broke ground Monday on construction projects ordered by President Donald Trump to pave over the grass in the Rose Garden and install flagpoles on the north and south lawns.
The projects are part of a series of personal touches that Trump, a real estate developer turned politician, has added or is adding to the Executive Mansion and its grounds since he opened his second term in January. The projects also include new artwork of himself on walls and gold-toned flourishes in the Oval Office. He also wants to add a ballroom.
Reporters on Monday noticed that work had begun in the Rose Garden, just off the Oval Office on the south grounds, when they were taken out to the South Lawn to wait for Trump to return on the Marine One helicopter from an overnight at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.
Photos showed that a limestone border that first lady Melania Trump had added during a Rose Garden renovation project in her husband's first term had been removed in some places and the grass had been dug up in others spots.
Employees of the National Park Service, which maintains the White House grounds, started the work on Monday, according to a White House official. The project is set to be completed in about two months, or the first half of August, said the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly on intended changes to the Executive Mansion and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
After stepping off the helicopter, Trump walked over to a bulldozer that was on the South Lawn to start digging a foundation for one of two flagpoles he promised in April. One flagpole will be added to the South Lawn, and the second will be installed on the North Lawn, he said.
Trump said he was installing two “beautiful” flagpoles “paid for by Trump” on the grounds because “they’ve needed flagpoles for 200 years.”
The American and POW/MIA flags fly on the roof of the White House every day.
The Republican president said months ago that he would pave over the Rose Garden because the grass there is always wet and an inconvenience for women in high heels. It was unclear if he planned to pay for this project.
Last week, Trump posted on his social media site about the ballroom he promised, “compliments of a man known as Donald J. Trump.”
He wrote on Friday that he had inspected the site for the ballroom, saying it will be a “wonderful addition” and is an example of the “'fun' projects I do while thinking about the World Economy, the United States, China, Russia, and lots of other Countries, places, and events.”
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President Donald Trump looks over a construction project in the Rose Garden of the White House, after his arrival, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump looks over a construction project on the South Lawn of the White House, after his arrival, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump arrives on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Washington. The Washington Monument is seen in background. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Six years into his Stuttgart career, Nikolas Nartey finally scored his first goal for the club to seal a thrilling 3-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Tuesday.
The Danish midfielder found space between two defenders to direct Josha Vagnoman's low cross into the net and turned away, shouting in celebration.
Nartey had been with Stuttgart since 2019 but barely played for much of that time. He spent two years on loan before a series of injuries wreaked havoc on his career. He didn't play at all in 2023-24 and had little game time the following year but has become a regular starter this season.
Until Nartey's breakthrough, it had seemed like a first-time scorer of a different sort had salvaged a draw for Frankfurt.
Three minutes into his Bundesliga debut off the bench, new signing Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab made it 2-2 to finish off a rapid team move that began with goalkeeper Kaua Santos and went the length of the field. The 21-year-old forward had never before played above the third tier of German soccer.
Frankfurt took the early lead when Rasmus Kristensen scored in the fifth minute, but goals from Ermedin Demirovic and Deniz Undav put Stuttgart ahead 2-1 by halftime. Both teams had plenty of chances as Santos and Stuttgart's Alexander Nübel made crucial saves.
Stuttgart moves up to third with the win. Frankfurt is seventh, with one win from its last eight games in all competitions.
A day after Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac signaled that challenging Bayern for the title is out of his team's reach, Dortmund cut Bayern's lead to eight points with a straightforward 3-0 win over Werder Bremen.
Defender Nico Schlotterbeck headed second-place Dortmund in front in the 11th before Marcel Sabitzer and Serhou Guirassy scored to make sure of the win.
“That we can't attack Bayern, I think everyone can see that,” Kovac said Monday, adding his aim is a top-four finish.
Unbeaten Bayern, which beat Wolfsburg 8-1 last week, can restore an 11-point lead by beating Cologne on Wednesday.
Mainz beat fellow relegation candidate Heidenheim 2-1 for its first Bundesliga win since September. New Mainz coach Urs Fischer is unbeaten in six Bundesliga and Conference League games since he was hired last month. Mainz moves up from last place in the 18-team league to 16th, dropping Heidenheim to last.
Bayer Leverkusen's game at Hamburger SV was postponed at short notice over concerns around the stadium's roof. It's the third game in the Bundesliga to be called off in recent days following heavy snow in northern Germany.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Mainz's Nadiem Amiri celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between FSV Mainz 05 andFC Heidenheim in Mainz, Germany, Tuesday Jan. 13, 2026. (Torsten Silz/dpa via AP)
Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, second right, celebrates with teammates after scoring the third goal against Werder Bremen during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen in Dortmund, Germany, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Stuttgart players celebrate with their fans after the Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt in Stuttgart, Germany, Tuesday Jan. 13, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)
Frankfurt's Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab celebrates scoring with Arthur Theate, left, and Robin Koch, right, during the Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt in Stuttgart, Germany, Tuesday Jan. 13, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)
Stuttgart's Nikolas Nartey, front, and Frankfurt Aurèle Amenda in action during the Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt in Stuttgart, Germany, Tuesday Jan. 13, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)
