Newsweek is apparently so desperate for anti-Trump content that they will publish misleading headlines about the First Lady.
Newsweek wrote on Tuesday that First Lady Melania Trump was ordering the “removal of [a] near-200-year-old tree from the White House.”
Melania Trump orders removal of the near-200-year-old tree from the White House https://t.co/mkntr7Ytlf pic.twitter.com/Ck8Vj7VXgB
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) December 26, 2017
At first read, Melania sounds like an evil tree-killer who wants to purge the White House of any pre-Trump history. What other reason could she possibly have for removing a beautiful 200-year-old tree?
Well, as the Newsweek article goes on to explain, the tree is dying.
The tree in question is a Jackson magnolia, and it has been on the south facade of the White House since the 1800s. Tree specialists determined on Tuesday that the tree, which is the oldest on the White House grounds, is structurally unstable and is being held up artificially.
The situation is so bad that the tree could apparently fall at any time, most likely killing anyone who has the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Without the extensive cabling system, the tree would have fallen years ago,” a report by the United States National Arboretum stated. “Presently, and very concerning, the cabling system is failing on the east trunk, as a cable has pulled through the very thin layer of wood that remains. It is difficult to predict when and how many more will fail.”
Furthermore, White House officials said that Melania requested the wood from the tree be preserved. White House groundskeepers have been preparing for the tree’s removal for some time and already planted additional Jackson magnolias nearby. Those trees are already 8 to 10 feet tall and will be moved to the historic Jackson magnolia’s original location.