‘Ain’t No Way’: Trump Tried to Show Off His Strength at 80, But Eagle-Eyed Viewers Were Focused on the Crew Behind Him
President Donald Trump is digging up more holes around the White House.
Unlike other renovation projects, Trump, 80, and his administration have stayed quiet about the latest addition to the White House.
At this point, his beautification projects seem never-ending.
The Republican revealed his latest undertaking in a Truth Social post. On July 18, he wrote, “Planting beautiful Maple and Oak Tress at the White House!”
Trump gripped a shovel full of dirt beside a tree spade machine that workers used to transplant a mature sapling on the historic grounds.
He stared into the camera with his mouth open and a playful glare before tossing the dirt around the tree.
Hecklers quipped, “I just know he held the shovel above the ground and they put the dirt on it for him. Another said, “Girl, ain’t no way he can bend those arms that far.”
A third reaction read, “Either his body double or AI. There’s no way Dementia Don is physically capable of this.”
In a second photo, Trump looked up at one of the trees. In a third image, he flashed a smile and a thumbs-up as he posed with the seven-member landscaping crew.
One person wondered, “What’s he destroying now?”
A few people noticed crew members were humored by Trump’s antics as cameras caught them laughing.
This time, the president is opting to reverse some damage that stripped the White House of its regal aesthetic.
The photo-op comes after weeks of criticism of what was left on the grounds following a string of high-profile events.
The same cannot be said about Washington’s Lafayette Square. Trump plans to redesign the public park by planting 47 maple trees to honor him as the 47th U.S. president. The green space is located in front of the White House.
He was trolled when someone noticed his choice of trees was an inadvertent salute to Canada. Trump became a fresh target due to his newest heavy-handed tariffs.
“Maple trees are associated with Canada. Once he’s gone it can be dedicated to our wonderful northern neighbors,” read the mockery.
His return to office in January 2025 came with a regime change, new policies, and a White House makeover.
Trump demolished the East Wing to construct a ballroom, paved over the Rose Garden, adhered gold decals and labels to walls in and around the White House. He also removed the nearly 200-year-old “Jackson Magnolia” tree from the South Portico.
This summer, Trump had construction workers create the UFC Freedom 250 octagon on the South Lawn and then remove it.
Workers have started to remove the temporary UFC flooring from the South Lawn of the White House, revealing the scale of the damage to the grass below. pic.twitter.com/ruudPl3nv8
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) June 24, 2026
Crews have been simultaneously restoring the grass and building a new granite helipad on the yard.
Some believe the inspiration behind the new maple and oak trees can be traced back to an international trip. They wrote, “Lmfao this 1000% goes back to his trip to China.”
During a May meeting, Trump asked President Xi Jinping for help restoring the Rose Garden while touring the Zhongnanhai gardens in Beijing.
“These are the most beautiful roses anyone’s ever seen,” said Trump. “I asked the president, ‘Could you get me some for the Rose Garden?’ And he said yes. I’ve never seen roses so big.”
Jinping told the media that rose seeds would be gifted to Trump, but the restoration effort has yet to take place.
Whether the new maple and oak trees help soften the criticism remains to be seen. For now, they have become the latest chapter in Trump’s ongoing effort to remake the White House in his own image.
While supporters see a president putting his personal stamp on the historic property, critics argue every new project leaves another reminder that the grounds have become as much a construction zone as a national landmark.