President Donald Trump speaks as France’s President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, right, listen during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, foreground left, and European leaders in the East Room of the White House, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, in Washington.
| Photo Credit: AP
The White House on Tuesday (August 19, 2025) said President Donald Trump called off his traditional summer vacation in northern New Jersey due to the ongoing talks to end the war in Ukraine.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, confirmed the President’s decision.
“This is normally the time when the President goes on vacation, but not this President,” Ms. Leavitt said, adding that there were “discussions about him working from Bedminster for a couple of weeks but he decided against it.”
Bedminster is the location of his club in northern New Jersey, where Mr. Trump often goes for weekends. He also spent some stretches of time in August there for vacation during his first term.
The comments from Ms. Leavitt came when the White House took a portion of the day’s press pool out to the renovated Rose Garden as the president tested out the area’s new speakers.
Earlier, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Dan Scavino posted footage showing off new speakers installed as part of Trump’s makeover of the White House’s Rose Garden.
One of Mr. Trump’s favourite songs, Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” blares in the video, over a shot showing patio-style tables shielded by yellow umbrellas. The shot later focuses in on an American flag overhead.
Ms. Leavitt subsequently brought reporters to the Rose Garden and said Mr. Trump was controlling the playlist as crews tested the speakers for “what will be the best event in the history of the White House.”
She said the next party there will be “hopefully soon.”
Other songs being played included “Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum. The music was loud enough to be heard in other parts of the White House.
Published – August 20, 2025 03:31 am IST
