Donald Trump promised to bring a ‘Golden Age’ to America, and his re-makeover of the Oval Office certainly lives up to that promise. The Republican president has covered the presidential office in gold-plated, Trump-marked coasters, gold-trimmed trophies, and dozens of portraits of former presidents, with little to no blank space left on the walls.
His renovations have been continuous, as new items appear regularly. This week, he installed a copy of the Declaration of Independence, the historic document that marked America’s separation from the British monarchy 250 years ago. Trump’s transformation of the Oval Office has turned it into a mix of a television studio and an exclusive real estate setting—something that aligns with his background as a former reality TV star and real estate mogul.
“President Trump is a master of playing Donald Trump,” said Peter Loge, director of George Washington University’s School of Media, to AFP. “The show is the thing. Some of the show is the bling. It would be no surprise if Trump did not transform the Oval Office into a television set that matched his brand.”
Besides appearances, the rethinking also bears significant political intent. The Oval Office, which stands as a top symbol of United States’ dominance, hosts Trump’s press briefings and sits-down talks with global leaders. Recently, at a fiery debate with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, the redesigned room placed its stamp of backdrop on the intense moment.
A dramatic addition to the presidential portrait hall was James Polk, the 11th president of the United States, who presided over one of the nation’s greatest territorial gains. The timing of this selection is significant, as Trump has been boldly making claims of annexing Greenland, taking back the Panama Canal, and assuming control of Gaza.
All presidents personalize the Oval Office, but Trump’s renovation differs markedly from that of his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden. Attuned to that difference, Trump even called it out himself. “Do you think Joe Biden would do this? I don’t think so,” he said on Fox News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle during the reveal of the Declaration of Independence.
Biden’s staff was comparatively subdued, with five portraits on the wall by the fireplace, one of them Franklin D. Roosevelt over the mantel. Trump, by contrast, has nine, in addition to ones by his desk, like a portrait of Republican legend Ronald Reagan.
The other difference is in the decor. Biden had a Swedish ivy plant with roots dating back to John F. Kennedy’s era, whereas Trump has ornate, gilded containers—seven of them, some dating back more than 200 years. Furthermore, both presidents had a bust of Martin Luther King Jr., but Trump also has the bust of Britain’s World War II leader, Winston Churchill, which he had during his first term.
Trump’s penchant for magnificence follows a long tradition in his personal branding. Ever since he announced his initial presidential candidacy through a gold escalator at Trump Tower, his taste for luxury has been on display. He tends to put his own name on things, be they skyscrapers or bibles, and his take on the Oval Office continues this habit.
A standout in the room is a giant map renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” during the Trump presidency. Furthermore, it is reported that he will pave over the White House’s iconic Rose Garden, converting it into a patio in the style of his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort.
Arguably the most unusual decoration is a photograph hanging just off the Oval Office—a gold-framed print of Trump’s 2023 mugshot, snapped in Georgia after he had been booked for allegedly trying to tamper with the 2020 election. Among the paintings of America’s great leaders, this contemporary photograph is a wonderfully personal addition to the presidential environment.
