(Ben Sellers, Headline USA) Although the Elon Musk-fronted Department of Government Efficiency has faded into the background, President Donald Trump’s efforts to ensure fiscal responsibility and exacting standards from federal government workers remain in full force—right down to the manual labor.
The former Manhattan real-estate mogul reverted back to his project-management days by chewing out a group of laborers who were contracted to work on the White House Rose Garden, according to a post Saturday on Truth Social.
The $1.9 million renovation project includes replacing the grassed-in area where many formal receptions and press conferences are held with slabs of marble and other high-quality stonework.
“Three days ago, while admiring the stonework, I happened to notice a huge gash in the limestone that extended more than 25 yards long,” Trump wrote.
“…Lo and behold, because of the fact that we’ve installed the finest security equipment anywhere, they brought back the stupid people, with their boss watching,” he added. “…It was a subcontractor that was installing heavy landscaping on a steel cart that was broken and tilting badly, with it rubbing against the soft, beautiful stone.”
Trump said he planned on charging the contractor to replace the stone and that the company would be banned from working at the White House again on his watch.
He then pivoted to praising the surveillance cameras.
“[H]ow great is the video equipment?” Trump asked. “We caught them, cold.”
Reactions on social media were mixed, with some praising the president for his ongoing winning streak and others wondering if his detail-oriented approach was really the best use of his time.
In particular, Trump’s praise for the White House security equipment became a focal point of many reactions.
Some suggested that the true purpose of the post was to showcase the surveillance capabilities of the newly improved Rose Garden.
I am pretty sure he isn't talking about just the stone here. I think he is letting people know that there are cameras everywhere. He is implying that they have evidence on a lot of things.
— TG @TeresaG18170806 (@terri_gray) August 30, 2025
The post comes as the walls have begun closing in on several deep-state conspirators in conjunction with the Russia-gate scandal and other acts of sedition.
The object was, in many cases, to enable loyalists of the Obama regime to justify illegal surveillance of the Trump campaign—and later, his administration—then to use that information to undermine or blackmail the Republican president and his team.
It is unclear when Trump added the new surveillance equipment in the Rose Garden, or whether he has access to footage of events that took place during Joe Biden’s presidency.
In at least one situation, video footage would have proven useful after a bag of cocaine was reportedly found in the West Wing. The Secret Service and FBI both botched the investigation into identifying the culprit and subsequently destroyed the evidence.
Many suspect it was connected to Biden’s son, Hunter, who received a blanket pardon for any crimes he may have committed dating back to the start of 2014.
Thus far, none of the suspected co-conspirators involved in the efforts to destroy Trump have been formally indicted, although federal attorney Ed Martin, who has been tasked with investigating some of the conspiracies, has hinted strongly that multiple grand juries have been empaneled.
Ben Sellers is a freelance writer and former editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/realbensellers.
