The Tackiest Changes Donald Trump Has Made To The Oval Office

Newly re-inaugurated President Donald Trump announced, "The golden age of America begins right now" (per PBS News). Nobody realized he was actually referring to the Oval Office. The famous White House office was first created by William Howard Taft in 1909, and every president since then has added his own decorating touches to reflect his personality and preferences, such as Lyndon B. Johnson's TV sets with his own remote. Gerald Ford added a stately case clock, Barack Obama ordered patterned wallpaper, and Ronald Reagan had the Resolute Desk raised a few inches to allow for his height. 

Then there are Trump's updates to the Oval Office, which look like a replica of his tacky Mar-a-Lago resort. In keeping with his love for luxury, the president flooded the room from floor to ceiling with gold detailing, gilded accessories, and reminders of his power. Fans call it splendid; detractors argue that it looks more like a gaudy palace than the People's House. The Washington Post critiqued in March 2025, "Where the Oval Office once conjured gravitas and continuity through its restrained adornments, it now evokes insecurity and petulance. It is awash in gilt." 

Comparing Oval Office photos before and after its Trumpification, the difference is jarring. Here, we offer some examples of the opulent upgrades (you might want to put on your shades first).

When tasked with decorating the Oval Office, the president has the honor of deciding what artwork to display. Traditionally, the commander in chief opts to hang portraits of past presidents, as a reminder of the legacy he carries on. Barack Obama kept it simple with paintings of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, plus a few non-presidential artworks. Donald Trump went in the other direction, choosing nearly 20 portraits of past White House occupants, all in large gold frames. He also moved the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. which had been in the room since Obama's administration, subbing a sculpture of Winston Churchill.

The fireplace in the Oval Office provides both a focal point for photographers and a homey touch for guests meeting with the president. At least, it did until Donald Trump's second administration. The photo at the left was taken during Joe Biden's time in office, showing a leafy ivy swag that exuded warmth toward guests. (The fire in the hearth didn't hurt, either.) Trump promptly did away with the greenery once he moved in, replacing it with a display of gold urns and other artifacts which switch out periodically.

Not content just to gild up the mantelpiece, Donald Trump gradually added more golden touches to the Oval Office fireplace during his first year of his second term. By late August 2025, the hearthpiece was festooned with gold ornamentation and an ornate screen, and the carvings on the face had also been painted to match. Perhaps the president would have done well to heed the advice not to over-accessorize that has often been attributed to Coco Chanel: "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off" (via Goodreads).

Donald Trump's tacky White House décor doesn't stop with the walls. The president also made changes to the furniture in his office, replacing the plain wooden coffee table with one featuring the presidential seal. Trump added gold coasters too, and to make it abundantly clear whose space it is, he included a gold paperweight with "PRESIDENT" and "TRUMP" on either side. On occasion, a mini replica of Air Force One makes an appearance as a centerpiece. If Buckingham Palace had gold "KING CHARLES III" coasters and teacups in the drawing room, people would accuse him of being even more out of touch than he already is. Yet Trump enjoys his rep for excessive luxury.

The round Oval Office rug has been changed out countless times by its inhabitants, who choose the carpeting for personal as well as aesthetic reasons. Barack Obama cherished the one gifted to him, an American-made piece encircled with quotes from past presidents and Martin Luther King Jr. Joe Biden opted to replace it with a rich blue rug. Donald Trump quickly did away with all that coziness and, for both his terms, installed a rug previously used by Ronald Reagan. Naturally, its border has gold accents. But it also appears to be the grossest part of the Trump Oval Office; some overhead photos of the room make it appear as though the rug is badly stained.

Most people who display an award in their office have actually won it through their own efforts. President Donald Trump is a notable exception. When the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup soccer tournament was held in New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, the organization presented the POTUS with a replica of the championship trophy to honor the host country. Trump suggested he had been given the original statue, but FIFA clarified to BBC Sport that the original Club World Cup is kept at the organization's Switzerland headquarters, along with the originals of all their other trophies. Either way, the golden statue fits right in with the rest of the room.

Visitors who look up at the Oval Office's ceiling are treated to the sight of a relief of the presidential seal, installed by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1934. Perhaps President Donald Trump felt the plain white plaster wasn't visible enough. This, too, got a golden makeover, and hats must be tipped to the decorators who painstakingly outlined each of the American Eagle's feathers and its clusters of arrows and an olive branch. It's not exactly Sistine Chapel-level, but it's unmistakably Trumpian. Not seen here: the crown molding around the ceiling, which was also given the metallic treatment.

Rococo art and architecture is usually associated with 18th-century France, when the country started a shift away from the Baroque style. Donald Trump opted to incorporate Rococo-style ornamentation into his workspace, placing long filigree detail pieces at strategic points along the wall. To enhance the effect, all the carvings on the doors, doorframes, and bookcases were touched up in gold paint. It's a visual reminder that the president values money and knows how to use it (or so he believes).