President Donald Trump happens to be one of the most popular figures in world politics today. At the same time, the internet is obsessed with his lifestyle choices, his family, his medical history, and his favorite food. But. There’s something more than all of this that has also come to the spotlight. Trump wasted no time personalizing the Oval Office after returning to the White House for his second term.
The space had already started to resemble a mini version of Trump Tower, complete with gold accents everywhere. From gold vases on the fireplace mantel to golden-framed portraits of the founding fathers, the room reflected his signature style.
Even the carpet was updated to match the lavish gold theme.
As per The List, the transformation didn’t stop there. Over time, the office gained more ornate gold carvings and decorations on the walls and fireplace. A lot of people said that Donald Trump redecorated his office to showcase his wealth, but in a Fox News interview, he said the golden decor symbolizes good fortune.
“They’re gold, all gold. It’s angels. They say angels bring good luck, and we need a lot of luck in this country with what they’ve done over the last four years,” he said in an interview with Fox News.
The top image is the “Biden” Oval Office, bottom is Trump’s Oval.
Take a look at how many GOLD accents Trump has added.
Now, you could look at this as another example of Trump’s “ostentatious” style or you could see the very clear signal Trump is making about the return of… pic.twitter.com/T5b6oaeR47
— NewsTreason Channel 17 (@NewsTreason) April 14, 2025
Meanwhile, in a recent press conference at the White House. Trump was being quizzed with a series of questions, but he completely went off topic and started talking about how much nicer the White House looks now compared to when Barack Obama served as the 44th president of America from 2009 to 2017.
Donald Trump said, “This room is more beautiful now… I put up pictures that were in storage for 100 years. We even have the Declaration of Independence in here now.” On the contrary, Barack Obama had the same room done up with neutral wallpaper and limited the artwork to portraits of evergreen American founders.
My God, the tackiest Oval Office redo ever. 🤮 pic.twitter.com/fUWlOVdq38
— Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) February 4, 2025
Netizens and Trump haters also called out the dripping gold design of the office, and called it “tacky” and “gaudy.” The ongoing changes to the Oval Office suggest a desire to surround himself with signs of wealth and luxury constantly. Another harsh critic wrote, “Forget quiet tributes to history or respectful national symbolism — this looks like someone bought a bulk order of ‘Midas Touch’ paint and refused to waste a drop,”
Meanwhile, fashion and culture critic Robin Givhan warned that the excessive décor might actually weaken the office’s symbolic power, which is based on democracy. In an interview with Morning Edition (via NPR), Givhan explained, “The authority of the Oval Office has always come from its simplicity — from the people and from democracy, not from decoration.”
Donald Trump has apparently added a few more gold touches to the Oval Office… pic.twitter.com/VfRU7B7sas
— Mae Moxie (@realMaemoxie) July 24, 2025
While the essence of the Oval Office was designed in its one-of-a-kind oval shape as a nod to the White House’s Blue Room, which stemmed from former President George Washington, who used an oval-shaped room for formal receptions, a symbolic way to honor the office of the presidency, people are worried it might lose its real charm.
Some are jokingly wondering whether the entire White House might end up covered in gold by the end of his term, and then it will look less like the official headquarters and more like a temple dripping in gold.
