Updated April 21, 2025 at 05:00 AM ET
Every American president brings a personal touch to the Oval Office. Ronald Reagan kept a collection of bronze saddles and a jar of Jelly Bellys. Barack Obama introduced a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. and a bowl of apples. In his second term, Donald Trump, known for his love for gold decor, is incorporating a lot of it.
The White House has replaced the traditional ivy planter above the fireplace with a row of gold objects, a look that is getting attention from critics and raising questions about the image Trump is trying to project from the Oval Office.
NPR's Tamara Keith, who has been analyzing photos and videos of the room, reported on All Things Considered that so far, two gold ornaments have been added to the marble fireplace where Trump meets world leaders. A gold FIFA World Cup trophy sits on a table next to his desk. Two side tables are supported by golden eagles, and "Trump 47" coasters, also gold, sit nearby.
According to Robin Givhan, senior critic-at-large at The Washington Post, the pieces were originally used for displaying desserts, tea cakes and bonbons, not exactly standard office decor.
"They're not necessarily things that you would naturally see in an office," Givhan said in an interview with NPR's Morning Edition. "They have been part of the White House collection for years."
The result, she said, is a visual clutter that breaks with the Oval Office's traditionally restrained elegance. Givhan said that when the gilded items were first acquired, some members of Congress worried they signaled too much of an appreciation for the monarchy, far from the United States' founding principles.
When asked by Morning Edition host Michel Martin to comment on how others would judge the tastefulness of the display, Givhan responded: "There is an elitist point of view that would look at the way he's decorated the Oval Office and say that it looks very nouveau riche," she said. "And then there are those who could also look at it and say that it's simply an exuberant celebration of success."
Still, Givhan, whose visual piece details what she calls the "gilding of the Oval Office", argues the gold-heavy decor represents a departure from the values the room has long projected.
"So much of [the new esthetic] seems to be situated around this idea of regalness," Givhan added on Morning Edition. "Part of the power of the Oval Office has always come from the fact that it didn't need all of these elements in order to convey authority. The authority came from the people and from democracy."
Whether viewed as a personal statement or a departure from tradition, Trump's vision for the Oval Office marks a significant shift in its design. NPR's Tamara Keith noted, "The Trump brand is synonymous with over-the-top golden opulence, so Trump's version of the Oval is very on-brand."
Edited for digital by Jan Johnson.
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