President Donald Trump on Friday hosted a private dinner on a newly paved White House patio he called the “Rose Garden Club,” inviting senators, members of Congress and other guests he said could “bring peace and success to our country.” The event, which featured a multi-choice menu and formal place cards reading “The Rose Garden Club,” prompted praise from some Republican attendees and sharp criticism from Democrats and other social media users.
The dinner offered attendees several entree choices, according to photos and posts from guests: a Rose Garden salad, New York strip steak, thyme-roasted chicken, summer pasta primavera and a fudge-filled seven-layer cake for dessert. Trump told the assembled lawmakers and insiders that he had invited people who could help the country, and several attendees posted images from the evening expressing gratitude.
Republican lawmakers who attended described the night as successful. Texas Rep. Beth Van Duyne posted photos from the event and called it a “beautiful evening,” saying it was a reminder that “we’re not tired of winning for the American people.” Tennessee Rep. John R. Rode described the new space as “beautiful,” and Speaker Mike Johnson thanked the president for what he called an “epic” night.
The gathering came a day after the president and first lady had planned to host a separate event for technology industry leaders in the Rose Garden that was moved indoors to the State Dining Room after an afternoon downpour. That smaller meeting included Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who attended with his companion Gerelyn Gilbert-Soto. Trump greeted the tech leaders, invited them to speak and then fielded questions from reporters.
The events drew immediate backlash from Democrats and critics on social media, who said the exclusive dinner was tone-deaf amid economic concerns. California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X that while the economy was “in a downward spiral,” Republican officials were “spending their time cheersing Diet Cokes at a new, exclusive ‘club.’” He added the nickname “Predator Patio,” referencing an ongoing controversy tied to an apparent list associated with Jeffrey Epstein, and wrote, “Welcome to Predator Patio! Admission? Just prove you're on the Epstein List!”
Newsom also targeted House Speaker Mike Johnson in his post, writing, “After ripping health care from 17 million Americans and slashing food stamps for kids, we're glad Mike ‘Marie Antoinette’ Johnson and his boy friends had time to toast the grand opening of Predator Patio.” Other users posted disparaging comments about the new patio, calling it “disgusting,” likening its appearance to a “rundown mall food court,” and criticizing the use of public grounds for a private event.
White House officials did not immediately provide additional comment beyond guest posts and images shared by attendees. Supporters emphasized the political value of hosting lawmakers in a private setting to discuss priorities, with Van Duyne noting in her post that the evening reinforced efforts to lower costs, increase take-home pay, expand job growth and limit the federal government.
The Rose Garden has long been used as an outdoor ceremonial space at the White House. The newly paved patio and the decision to host a discrete, invitation-only dinner for lawmakers highlight how the grounds are being used for private gatherings and political events, a shift some critics say blurs public and partisan functions. The White House has regularly hosted both formal, public-facing ceremonies and private dinners for political and policy discussions.
Photographs and social posts from the two nights underscore the contrast in tone between attendees who framed the gatherings as productive and celebratory and critics who described them as out of step with economic anxieties. The sequence of events — a tech leaders meeting moved indoors by rain followed by a private patio dinner for lawmakers — was documented in social media posts from guests and public figures, but there was no immediate official statement reconciling the two events or responding directly to critiques about the patio’s use.
The controversy over the patio opening is the latest flashpoint in a contentious political environment where White House events frequently draw scrutiny for guest lists, optics and messaging. For now, the president’s allies have touted the new space as a successful venue for convening lawmakers and influencers, while opponents continue to use social media to challenge the optics and priorities reflected in the gatherings.