Donald Trump’s White House makeover is back in the spotlight after internet sleuths claimed the president’s team dressed up the Oval Office with bargain store plastic.
At the center of the debate is a gold-accented applique seen in photos of the Oval Office fireplace, which users say is nearly identical to a $58 “Ekena Millwork Onlay” available at Home Depot. The piece, made from molded urethane, is marketed online as a decorative embellishment.
A tongue-in-cheek product review on the retailer’s site stated: “My boss is image-obsessed & understands that when it comes to decorating, more is MORE! AND he’s convinced it’s all real gold!”
The White House swiftly pushed back on the claims. An official told the Daily Beast: “It’s made with the highest quality gold and he’s paying for it himself.”
But critics online weren’t convinced. “Imagine running the free world and still decorating like a broke mobster’s wife in Jersey,” one user posted on X, reacting to the ornate detailing.
Another review on the Home Depot site said: “I too want my home fitted out like the White House!”
“Trump’s tackiness knows no bounds. The gold ‘embellishments’ Trump had plastered all over the historic Oval Office are actually cheap plastic moulding pieces from Home Depot that have been spray painted gold,” former NBC executive Mike Sington ranted on X.
“Can’t wait for the next president to rip all this crap down.”
The coverage quickly jumped across the Atlantic, landing on the front page of Britain’s Daily Star under the headline “Fool’s Gold.”
“Oval Office bling ‘fake’,” it added.
Not everyone is mocking the style. Vice President JD Vance said his five-year-old son, Vivek, is among its biggest admirers. “His favorite color is gold.
“And whenever he walks into the Oval Office, he’s just blown away by it because it does have this bright, lively feel,” Vance told USA Today in an Aug. 27 interview.
“And I think it’s fitting for, again, the place where the leader of the free world comes to work every day.”
🇬🇧 Fool’s Gold▫Trump’s Oval Office bling exposed as knockoff £43 plastic sprayed gold▫Christopher Bucktin▫https://t.co/F0UKhBn6qA#frontpagestoday #UK @dailystar pic.twitter.com/R4bcP2R2TG
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Trump has long been known for his gilded aesthetic, from Trump Tower to Mar-a-Lago. The Oval Office’s glittering makeover, whether sourced from a high-end craftsman or a big-box store aisle, has once again triggered debate.
The appliqué is not the only change Trump has made. The mantel, too, is lined with gilded mirrors, Rococo-inspired dessert stands, and elaborate 18th- and 19th-century flower vases, while portraits of past presidents hang in thick, gold-leafed frames.
The post Trump’s White House Revamp Dragged Over $58 Home Depot Item appeared first on The Daily Beast.
