Grammy-winning musician Jack White, known for his work as the frontman of The White Stripes, has sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s lavish redecoration of the Oval Office. Posting on Instagram following a high-profile meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, White condemned the president’s extensive use of gold decoration in the historic room.
He described the transformation as “a vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy, professional wrestler’s dressing room,” adding, “Look at his disgusting taste, would you even buy a used car from this conman, let alone give him the nuclear codes?”
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White went further, sarcastically envisioning “a gold plated Trump bible… up on that mantle with a pair of Trump shoes on either side.” He expressed deep disappointment, calling the redesign “an embarrassment to American history.”
The photo that accompanied White’s post depicted Trump and Zelensky sitting amidst gold-framed paintings, gold cherubs, trophies, and gilded mirrors, elements sourced from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
Trump has been gradually transforming the Oval Office over the past months, replacing the previous administration’s understated décor with opulent golden touches. These include gold appliqués on the fireplace, gilded Rococo-style mirrors, gold trophies mostly made in Europe, and a new gold “Trump” crest above the building’s door.
Trump said of the makeover, “I picked it all myself. I’m very proud of it,” explaining his fondness for gold as a symbol of “class” and good luck. He also noted plans to host a UFC match on the White House lawn next year to celebrate 250 years of American independence, an idea White mocked in his Instagram caption by saying, “Can’t wait for the UFC match on the front lawn too, he’s almost fully achieved the movie ‘Idiocracy.'”
In response to White’s harsh critique, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung fired back in an interview with the Daily Beast. He called White a “washed up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media because he clearly has ample time on his hands due to his stalled career.”
Cheung defended the Oval Office’s new look, saying, “It’s apparent he’s been masquerading as a real artist, because he fails to appreciate, and quite frankly disrespects, the splendor and significance of the Oval Office inside of ‘The People’s House.’”
Jack White, former White Stripes singer and guitarist, called out Mark Wahlberg, Joe Rogan, Mel Gibson, and Guy Fieri, for normalising Donald Trump, a “racist con man”, at a recent Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event. He described Trump as being “disgusting” and “fascist.” pic.twitter.com/f621BikHGm
— Tony – Resistance (@TonyHussein4) July 11, 2023
Despite Cheung’s claim that White’s career has stalled, the musician’s recent work contradicts that. White’s 2024 album No Name was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards. Moreover, he has an upcoming major performance lined up at the CBGB Festival in Brooklyn next month, alongside iconic acts like Iggy Pop and the Sex Pistols.
Jack White has a history of outspoken opposition to Trump, once branding the president an “obvious fascist and wannabe dictator” and a “Nazi clown” on social media. White notably defended his music after Trump used the White Stripes’ hit “Seven Nation Army” without permission in a campaign video, threatening legal action with a fiery message: “Don’t even think about using my music you fascists.”
Jack White is now threatening to sue Trump for using his music at his rallies. pic.twitter.com/CetkjBvJok
— ❄️WINTER❄️ (@WinterPolitics1) August 29, 2024
White closed his Oval Office post by praising Zelensky, calling him “a REAL leader of a nation in a black suit,” contrasting him with Trump. The lavish redesign of the Oval Office, however, is fully Trump’s doing, reflecting a penchant for gilded opulence consistent with his other properties.
Barbara Res, a former vice president at the Trump Organization, said Trump associates gold decoration with “class” and “wealth,” explaining that his desire to gild everything “conveyed an illusion of taste and wealth.”
Additional changes include replacing the lawn in the Rose Garden with paving, justified by Trump as a solution to complaints from women about high heels sinking into the grass.
