A Beehive of Activity Appears on the White House South Lawn
Plus, Melania Trump issues call to action to help ‘change people’s lives for the better.’
First Lady Melania Trump revealed that a tiny, handcrafted replica of the White House is now home to an expanded bee colony on South Lawn, the White House announced on Friday.
The newly installed and fully functioning beehive houses two new bee colonies in addition to two existing colonies that produce the White House’s signature honey. The new hive and its base were designed by the White House Executive Residence staff and hand-crafted by a local Virginia artisan. It is expected to increase annual honey production by an estimated 30 pounds and support White House culinary dishes, official gifts from the president and the first lady and charitable donations of healthy foods to local food kitchens.
The White House honey is known for its light clover and basswood flavor, with a subtle hint of citrus. It is used by Executive Residence chefs to sweeten teas, prepare salad dressings, and craft desserts.
The White House beekeeping program officially began in 2009 when then First Lady Michelle Obama established the official White House vegetable garden. The program has been managed by White House Carpenter, Charlie Brandt, who started beekeeping as a hobby on the complex a few years prior. Beekeeping has since become a lasting tradition on the South Lawn, according to the White House.
During peak summer months, the existing two hive populations have reached approximately 70,000 bees, driving production up to 200-225 pounds of honey in a productive year. It is estimated that this latest addition will allow peak production to increase, in time, to 230-255 pounds of honey or more, according to the White House.
The installation will support the existing colonies in pollinating the nearby White House Kitchen Garden, Flower Cutting Garden, and vegetation on the National Mall. It will also serve as an educational feature, offering potential opportunities for visitors on the South Lawn to get a closer look at a working colony and learn about pollination and food production firsthand.
The expansion, funded through the Trust for the National Mall, continues a legacy of stewardship across administrations—adding to the legacy of the Kitchen Garden, the Flower Cutting Garden, and other beekeeping efforts now supported by White House Chief Horticulturist, Dale Haney, and local apiarists.
To watch an official video by the Office of the First Lady featuring the expanded beehive, click here.
A Call to Action and for Unity from Melania Trump at Annual Congressional Luncheon
Before an annual gathering of spouses of members of Congress, the administration, Supreme Court, along with business leaders and donors, First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday issued a call to action to help “change people’s lives for the better.”
Mrs. Trump in her remarks at the Congressional Club’s 113th First Lady’s Luncheon promoted unity to help drive change, an approach consistent in her efforts to support bipartisan legislation such as the Take It Down Act, which was signed into law last year and, earlier this month, snagged its first conviction.
She briefed the audience on many of her accomplishments since her husband returned to the White House. Particularly, Mrs. Trump shared her hopes for more bipartisan legislation that would reform the John H. Chafee Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood, the nation’s primary program dedicated to supporting youth from ages 14 to 23 who are transitioning out of foster care. Last month, the committee announced the introduction of six bills that would modernize the Chafee Program and improve outcomes for youth aging out of foster care. The proposed legislation addresses challenges that have been identified by stakeholders, witnesses and youth in foster care and aligns with Mrs. Trump’s Fostering the Future initiative she established in 2021 to provide individuals in the foster care community with access to education at the university level.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as first lady, but understand that my persistence alone is not enough,” Mrs. Trump said.
She also spoke of her efforts to advance artificial intelligence in education, noting that all 50 states are participating in the Presidential AI Challenge and nearly 3,000 schools across the country joined the White House AI Workshop. Earlier this year, she addressed the United Nations Security Council about education and recently hosted leaders from dozens of countries at the White House for her Fostering the Future Together initiative where she spoke about empowering children with technology and education.
“We are not here to prepare our children for yesterday’s world. Be purposeful with your objectives and remember that AI accelerates everything,” Mrs. Trump said. “The world doesn’t move for those who stop.”
Applause interrupted the first lady’s remarks several times. She also talked about her work helping unite Ukrainian children with their families.
“I completed the fourth reunification of Ukrainian and Russian children with their families. As you can imagine, this is no easy feat, but I applaud leadership from both nations in working with my representative and me to bring love and safety back to each individual who has been displaced as a result of this horrible war,” she said.
After the speeches, the first lady was presented with the painting dedicated to America’s 250th anniversary of its founding that showed a collage of images consisting of the Capitol, the American flag, the White House, cherry blossoms and the Lincoln Memorial. Usha Vance, who was also in attendance and who is expecting another child, was given a baby blanket.
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