Since returning to the White House one year ago, President Donald Trump has transformed the historic building's iconic spaces with a 'maximalist' approach heavy on gold leaf and adornments, drawing comparisons to the mythical King Midas. The makeover has seen the Oval Office and other rooms stripped of their previous spartan decor in favour of the lavish style that characterises his properties like Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago.
During the transition from Joe Biden, staff replaced the blue Oval Office rug with the taupe-coloured one used by Trump and Barack Obama. They restored the room to its condition during Trump's first term, removing a portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt and reinstating flags of all five US military branches, bringing the total to ten—five times more than most previous presidents. The gold curtains and wallpaper from Trump's first term remained, and the valet button on the Resolute desk was restored, famously used to summon Diet Coke.
Over the months, gold leaf paint appeared on previously white surfaces such as doorways, crown moulding, and the Great Seal on the ceiling. Picture frames multiplied to fill blank walls, including a centuries-old copy of the Declaration of Independence added over objections from National Archives experts, who warned it could fade. Blackout curtains were installed to protect it from sunlight. Where space was limited, garish appliqués and tchotchkes appeared, like vermeil medallions and vases on the mantelpiece.
A model of Air Force One, painted in Trump's favoured red, dark blue and white scheme—criticised by the Air Force as costly and taxing on cooling systems—returned to a coffee table. The president has often cited past leaders like William McKinley and Andrew Jackson to justify his policies, but his interior design choices have drawn particular attention for their opulence.
