Sadiq S BhatWashington, DC — The White House Rose Garden is no longer simply a lawn.
Newly laid out stone paths now run through it, punctuated by elegant tables and chic umbrellas.
On Thursday night, it will serve as a stage for a carefully curated dinner, with US President Donald Trump presiding over the biggest names in technology.
Bill Gates will be there. So will Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Sam Altman, Sergey Brin, Safra Catz, Greg Brockman, and a dozen others.
They are the faces of American technology, gathered not for a product launch or a corporate summit but for a meal with the president in what he has christened the Rose Garden Club.
One man will be absent. Elon Musk.
Musk once played the role of government efficiency tsar, hand-picked by Trump to lead a new department dedicated to cutting waste.
He poured money into Trump's 2024 campaign, nearly $300 million.
For a moment, he was as close to the Oval Office as any CEO could be. The alliance collapsed in June, after Musk turned on Trump’s flagship economic bill, calling it a "disgusting abomination."
Trump retaliated by stripping Musk ally Jared Isaacman of a NASA nomination and mocking Musk as "crazy" and a "big-time drug addict."
Musk countered with personal allegations and threats, even hinting at launching his own political party. The rift has not healed.
Now, Trump hosts the most powerful technologists in America without him.
'Hottest place to be in Washington'
The dinner follows a meeting of the White House's new Artificial Intelligence Education task force, chaired by Melania Trump. Some of the same executives will attend both events, moving from policy talk to patio dining.
The stated aim of the task force is to shape how American schools introduce AI to the next generation. Behind the formal language is a recognition that Trump wants to set the rules of the new age, not merely react to them.
The official line is cheerful.
"The Rose Garden Club at the White House is the hottest place to be in Washington, or perhaps the world," spokesman Davis Ingle said.
"The president looks forward to welcoming top business, political, and tech leaders for this dinner and the many dinners to come on the new, beautiful Rose Garden patio."
Ingle's phrasing is more Trump than Trump. What the event really marks is the beginning of a new kind of court politics, with the White House recast as a social club for corporate royalty.
"The White House has not been given any tender, loving care in many decades, so President Trump is taking necessary steps in order to preserve and restore the greatness and glory of 'the People’s House,'" Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, told the New York Times.
Outside the gates
The list of attendees runs long.
Oracle's Safra Catz. Blue Origin's David Limp. Micron's Sanjay Mehrotra. Vivek Ranadive of TIBCO. Shyam Sankar of Palantir. Alexandr Wang of Scale AI. Isaacman of Shift4, who finds himself back at the White House despite the humiliation of his withdrawn NASA nomination.
Also on the list are venture capitalist David Sacks, now serving as Trump's adviser on artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, AMD's Lisa Su, Zynga founder Mark Pincus, Ring’s Jamie Siminoff, and Dylan Field of Figma.
Some came to Trump early, attending his inauguration or announcing investments in manufacturing under his watch. Others arrive now, when influence requires a seat at his table.
The symbolism is deliberate. For decades, the Rose Garden has been a stage for treaties, bill signings, and solemn addresses.
On Thursday night, it becomes a private club, its lawn paved over, its centrepiece no longer a podium but a cluster of round tables.
Musk, excluded, hovers over the guest list like a ghost. His absence is louder than any presence.
At one point, Trump praised him as "80 percent super genius" but "20 percent problems." That line, meant as a jab, may be the most honest measure of how their relationship now stands.
What emerges on Thursday is not just a dinner. It is a snapshot of power at the intersection of politics and technology.
The CEOs who shape the digital world signal a willingness to be seen at Trump’s side, however much they may disagree with his politics.
For now, the White House Garden is the most privileged club in America, and the US president is playing the host.
Musk remains outside the gates.
