The One Oval Office Decor Change Donald Trump Couldn't Get Away With

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The Oval Office used to be an understated yet classy room. Sadly, that's no longer the case. The historical space is now just as elaborate and over the top as its current inhabitant. Donald Trump's Oval Office updates give Mar-a-Lago 2.0 (and they prove money can't buy taste), but fortunately there were some renovations he couldn't get away with, including hanging a chandelier from the ceiling. The divisive politician's White House redecorating spree seemingly knows no bounds, but concerned staffers reportedly stepped in to prevent him from adding the fixture to Trump's long list of tacky changes to the Oval Office. 

The president's plan to add a chandelier to his office was first revealed in Scott Jennings' book, "A Revolution of Common Sense: How Donald Trump Stormed Washington and Fought for Western Civilization." As it turns out, the ceiling wasn't made to carry something as elaborate as a chandelier without collapsing entirely, and Trump's plan was declared dead in the water as a result. It appears he tried to make up for it by adding excessive amounts of gold to the Oval Office instead. The president's renovations received tons of criticism, and there's even speculation that the gilding, which he has repeatedly insisted is real gold, might, in fact, be fixtures purchased from the local Home Depot. 

The scandalous rumor first made the rounds after the president subjected Fox News host Laura Ingraham to a White House tour and she asked him point blank whether he'd bought them from the popular chain store. "No, this is not Home Depot stuff. This is not Home Depot," Trump clarified (via People). It doesn't help that fixtures resembling the golden ones in the Oval Office are indeed available at the home improvement retailer.

Aside from eyeing elaborate chandeliers and possibly getting a great bargain on the Oval Office's gold gilding at Home Depot, Donald Trump has also opted to label some of the prominent spaces in the White House with gold lettering. This change was first introduced in November 2025, with paper signs sporting gold lettering indicating the Oval Office. It was made permanent in early December 2025, with CNN's Kaitlan Collins noting the new fixtures on X, formerly known as Twitter. "It looks like the Oval Office sign has been made permanent. There's also another outside the entrance to the West Wing," she penned.

Critics have long argued that the president is turning the White House into a carbon copy of his Mar-a-Lago residence, and some of his political opponents have spoken up about the new additions. One of the most notable responses came from California Governor Gavin Newsom, whose brutal roasts have knocked Trump off his high horse on several occasions. Newsom's press office took to X to post a screenshot of a Google search, reading: "Do you need to label things for old people with memory issues?" Of course, the results were in the affirmative. Users gleefully sounded off in the comments, with one quipping, "They'll have a golden framed pic of the Oval mounted up there next, once they realize he can't read."