‘So tacky’: New Oval Office image showcases the extent of Donald Trump’s hideous White House makeover
The 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner has gone down in history as one of the most pivotal nights in American history. Barack Obama chose to roast Donald Trump, who sat there fuming with a rictus grin as joke after joke was made at his expense. As the legend goes, it was at this moment Trump decided to get serious about his political ambitions, if only to wipe the smirk off Obama’s face.
Here the reason why Trump ran for office:
— Frank Kantor (@FrankaKantor) November 5, 2024
White House Correspondents Dinner.
Obama started roasting some of the audience.
He hyper focused on Trump by the end. It’s clear the he was the main target all along.
Insults him and his capabilities. Terrible.
“Watch Obama roast… pic.twitter.com/ae06FZrZwD
One particularly fierce jab at him was a mock-up image of a Trumpified White House, complete with giant gold pillars, an 80s-style neon sign, and a giant “TRUMP” across the top. Now, as his second term kicks off, Trump is well on his way to making that parody image reality.
The Oval Office (and the White House itself) is usually intended to project institutional power. Compared to the homes of other state leaders, it’s relatively plain, generally decorated in blue and white, and has a broad philosophy that the United States’ overwhelming military might and economic wealth mean it doesn’t need to impress visitors with opulence, and that the President is ultimately a servant of the people. The Biden Oval Office was decorated along those lines, with muted detail and restrained decor.
But “muted” and “restrained” aren’t words you usually associate with Donald Trump. As of writing, the newly made-over Oval Office is festooned with gold, ornate decoration, tchotchkes that could have come from your grandma’s house, and a silly amount of gold leaf. Check out the comparison:
This picture from the White House really shows how many gold accents have been added to the Oval Office. This is how it looked last year: https://t.co/Y2auT8fjTg pic.twitter.com/GCXoyunFjf
— Michelle L. Price (@michellelprice) April 7, 2025
Interior decorators and aesthetes will be shuddering at the comparison but, well, it’s his Oval Office now. If the Biden administration was about quietly making deals and backstage negotiations, Trump ver. 2 is about throwing America’s weight around as fiercely as possible and wreaking economic havoc? And what better way to do that than with office decor that looks like it’s been transplanted in from Trump Tower? Heck, for all we know most of this stuff is from a casino.
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