WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that a tree almost two hundred years old would need to be removed from the White House grounds due to its deteriorating condition.
Situated near the curved portico on the south side of the White House, the southern magnolia holds historical significance as it is the spot where foreign dignitaries are often greeted for official visits and where the president leaves to board the Marine One helicopter.
As per the National Park Service website, there is a belief passed down through folklore that President Andrew Jackson transported the tree’s seeds from his residence close to Nashville, Tennessee. The magnolia was allegedly planted as a tribute to his late wife Rachel, who passed away shortly before his inauguration in 1829.
“The bad news is that everything must come to an end, and this tree is in terrible condition, a very dangerous safety hazard, at the White House Entrance, no less, and must now be removed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform. “This process will take place next week, and will be replaced by another, very beautiful tree.”
Trump said the wood from the tree “may be used for other high and noble purposes!!!”
The tree was significantly pruned in 2017, during Trump’s first term. It was also damaged in 1994 when a small Cessna plane crashed into the South Lawn and skidded into the White House.
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