Flags, Figurines, and Gold Abound: Trump Turns the Oval Office into a Gilded Gallery

By
Joe Killer
-


Washington
UJ
—

While President Donald Trump seeks to revamp the federal government significantly, he is also in the process of altering another iconic element of the presidency: the Oval Office.

Two months after his return to office, Trump has increased the collection of artwork hanging in the office by three times. The shelves and surfaces are now filled with flags, statues, and decorative items.

Adhering to his long-standing aesthetic, gold accents are plentiful: featuring new gold vermeil figurines on the mantel, medallions adorning the fireplace, gilded Rococo mirrors on the doors, and delicate gold cherubs brought from Mar-a-Lago perching above the doorways. Even the remote control for the TV down the hall has a layer of gilt.

He even contemplated installing a chandelier in the Oval Office, according to two people familiar with his aspirations, although that idea appears to have faded.

Trump meets with Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin in the Oval Office. Behind them are recently added gold medallions on the fireplace and gold vermeil figurines on the mantle.

This transformation lends the White House an increasingly Mar-a-Lago-like ambiance. Plans are anticipated to commence in the coming weeks for his overhaul of the Rose Garden, converting the grassy area into a patio-style space similar to the one at his club in Florida. The president has recently reviewed these plans alongside White House curators.

Trump has shared his vision for the redesigned outdoor space, initially crafted by first lady Ellen Wilson, with visiting heads of state during strolls along the South Portico, as noted by a source from a visiting delegation.

On the South Lawn, the president aspires to construct a new ballroom for state dinners, inspired by the one at Mar-a-Lago, which draws design inspiration from the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. He has reviewed several sets of blueprints since taking office, showcasing them to guests and making adjustments. Trump has stated he intends to personally finance the construction, having even offered to do so during the Obama presidency; however, it remains uncertain if the project will advance within the historic grounds.

“It keeps my real-estate juices flowing,” Trump recently remarked to The Spectator regarding the renovations. “But it’ll be beautiful.”

Trump speaks in the library at Mar-a-Lago on March 4, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida.

Everything adds up to a workspace that exemplifies Trump’s distinctive style, with an abundance of objects, curiosities, and artwork compared to his predecessors. Not known for a minimalist approach, Trump feels most at ease amidst this collection: trophies, art, documents, and memorabilia.

Trump has always viewed his office as a showcase as well as a workspace. For many years, his suite on the 26th floor of Trump Tower was filled with collectibles on the windowsills and tables, and framed photographs and magazine covers covered the walls. The Oval Office, particularly around his desk, is more organized, yet still reminiscent of the space where he gained his fame.

Every change made in the Oval Office is initiated at his direction, according to aides, as Trump endeavors to customize the environment according to his vision.

While the Oval Office remains the primary power center of any administration, it has gained visibility since Trump’s return two months ago. He frequently uses it to engage with visiting foreign leaders, such as during the notably tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, swearing in cabinet members, and holding frequent Q&A sessions with reporters.

“Oh, what a great feeling,” Trump said on Inauguration Day as he sat behind the Resolute Desk, describing the feeling of returning to the Oval Office. “One of the better feelings I’ve ever had.”

Trump typically arrives in the Oval Office around mid-morning after engaging in phone conversations from 6 a.m. onward to discuss what he has seen on television, read in the news, and various plans for the day. His staff knows to expect him in the West Wing closer to 10 or 11 a.m.

The Oval Office he arrives to nowadays resembles a busy gallery showroom. While he immediately identified some of the portraits he wished to display, Trump has also perused numerous catalogues of potential portraits from the national collection, flipping through laminated pages to determine which predecessors’ portraits he wishes to adorn the walls of this iconic office.

After he selects which prominent figures he wants represented in the room, he focuses on framing. True to his decor preferences, Trump tends to prefer darker frames. Nearly 20 paintings now hang in the Oval Office, featuring predecessors and esteemed statesmen. By contrast, Joe Biden featured six portraits on display – a notable increase from Barack Obama, who chose to exhibit two portraits of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington while favoring modern art, including two Edward Hoppers on loan from the Whitney Museum.

In this November 13, 2024 photo, President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on November 13, 2024 in Washington, DC.

A prominent oil painting of Ronald Reagan sits to Trump’s left as he works at his desk. Meanwhile, above the fireplace hangs a new, larger depiction of George Washington, an imposing portrait by Charles Willson Peale from 1776, replacing the smaller image that was previously displayed.

Almost every inch of available wall space displays oil portraits of founding fathers and past presidents; at times, the frames nearly touch as they vie for space. The ever-growing gallery now includes Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and James Polk – all on loan from Capitol Hill – casting watchful gazes down at the happenings in the office.

A painting of former President Ronald Reagan behind President Donald Trump during a swearing-in ceremony for Tulsi Gabbard in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on February 12.
President Donald Trump speaks before signing two executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on February 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Many past presidents have found the White House to be constrictive, but Trump consistently praises the beauty and grandeur of the executive mansion, especially the Oval Office. While others have conducted meetings in the Roosevelt or Cabinet rooms, Trump predominantly occupies the Oval Office and its small adjoining rooms, including a dining area.

Although the changes made during this term have primarily focused on decor, Trump oversaw a substantial renovation of the Oval Office and other areas in the West Wing during his first presidency. The $1.75 million renovations were completed while he was on a summer break at his Bedminster, New Jersey club.

“We found gold behind the walls, which I always knew. Renovations are grand,” Trump expressed to TIME magazine at the time. “Remember how hard they worked? They wanted to make me happy.”

Even as the two-month mark of his second term approaches, Trump continues to incorporate new items into the Oval Office decor. Some have been rotated in and out, while others are set for more permanent exhibit.

On the table behind his desk is a gleaming golden replica of the FIFA World Cup Trophy, also known as the Jules Rimet Trophy. Trump frequently discusses the upcoming World Cup set to occur in July throughout North America, predominantly in the US.

A photograph of US President Donald Trump and his father, Fred Trump, next to the FIFA World Cup on a table behind the resolute desk in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday, March 6.

Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, one of Trump’s longest-serving aides, occasionally updates followers on the changes the president has implemented.

“Every president has a right to decorate the Oval Office,” stated a former White House official familiar with various administrations, “but his décor is so bizarrely un-presidential, it takes on a more regal air.”

He has removed some of the office’s more iconic features, such as the tufts of Swedish ivy that previously adorned the fireplace, descended from cuttings originally given to John F. Kennedy by the Irish ambassador to the US. Now, the mantle bears seven gold artifacts, arranged symmetrically around a tall empire-style centerpiece.

Simple wooden side tables have been substituted with more elaborate marble-topped consoles, topped with gilded eagles supporting bronze busts of Martin Luther King Jr. and Winston Churchill.

Photos, including ones of his mother, cover the table behind Trump’s desk. The Resolute Desk, a gift from Queen Victoria crafted from timbers of an Arctic exploration ship, was sent for refurbishment last month, with a smaller desk temporarily taking its place.

Nearby, a plaque designating the body of water he has renamed the “Gulf of America” is displayed prominently on an easel. Gold cups are located in recesses above the windows and along the walls.

A map of the Gulf of America is seen as President Donald Trump speaks before signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on March 6, in Washington, DC.
A gold paperweight sits on the table in front of Trump.

A hefty-looking gold paperweight rests on the coffee table, engraved with the presidential seal and the name “TRUMP” stamped along the side. Occasionally, some guests have even used it as a coaster.

And more additions may be in store. The president routinely spends weekends at Mar-a-Lago and often returns aboard Air Force One with fresh decorations for the Oval Office or other prominent spots within the White House.