When NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited the White House on Monday, he was greeted not only by President Donald Trump but also by the striking sight of a fully gilded Oval Office.
As the two men discussed details of a new U.S. assistance package to support Ukraine, they sat in front of a fireplace flanked by gold cherubs and medallions, surrounded by portraits of American statesmen in gold frames and shelves crowded with gilt figurines, urns and newly added Rococo mirrors.
For those watching Trump’s bilateral meetings in recent months, the scene was familiar. But it’s difficult to overstate just how drastically different the most famous office in the world looks ever since Trump stormed back into office six months ago.
As the weeks have passed, the Oval has evolved from the modest décor of the Biden era into the extravagant, gold-drenched centerpiece of Trump’s second administration — a space where the president has ensured his unmistakable mark is visible in quite literally every corner.
Gold flourishes multiply
When Rutte arrived on Monday, even more golden additions had appeared since his last visit in March. The mantle had been reconfigured again, with nine ornate gold vessels and a grand new clock at its center. A small space beneath the George Washington portrait had been filled with another gold cartouche, while two more were added below the portraits of Martin Van Buren and James K. Polk, and another pair flanked the marble fireplace that has served as the backdrop for countless official visits.
Above the doorways, delicate gold cherubs peered down — a touch not seen in previous administrations — while gilded Rococo mirrors attached to the doors reflected the gold eagles perched on side tables. Even the accessories carried the theme: a heavy gold-stamped paperweight reading “TRUMP” sat at the center of the coffee table, alongside a gold coaster box.
Behind the Resolute Desk, framed family photos now share space with what was originally a gold-plated replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy. But back in March, that piece was replaced with the actual FIFA Club World Cup trophy, which Trump personally presented to the Chelsea soccer club during a ceremony on Sunday before bringing it back to display in the Oval Office.
The gold urns displayed on the mantle come from President James Monroe’s 1817 gilt service, a set normally kept in the State Dining Room during public tours. As Newsweek previously reported, other elements — particularly the repeating medallions lining the walls — closely resemble polyurethane appliqués sold on Alibaba.
“President Trump is very good at playing the role of Donald Trump. The show is the point. Part of the show is the bling,” said Peter Loge, director of George Washington University’s School of Media, in an interview earlier this year. “It would be surprising if Trump did not remake the Oval Office into a TV set that reflected his brand.”
Hosting beneath the cherubs
Trump unveiled the first iteration of his redesigned office in February, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the first foreign visitor to experience the full effect. The two leaders posed beneath the commanding Charles Willson Peale portrait of Washington, seated amid cherubs, gold medallions and a gallery wall so densely arranged the frames nearly touched.
Pointing to the cherubs during a tour with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Trump said: “It’s angels. They say angels bring good luck, and we need a lot of luck in this country with what they’ve done over the last four years.”
In May, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also sat for a bilateral meeting in the ornate room. “You see the new and improved Oval Office,” Trump told him. “As it becomes more and more beautiful with love — you know, we handle it with great love — and 24-karat gold. That always helps, too.”
Carney nodded as Trump outlined other aspects of his renovation project, which the president is said to be directly overseeing: paving over the Rose Garden’s grass to create a stone-tiled patio similar to the outdoor pavilion at Mar-a-Lago, and commissioning a South Lawn ballroom inspired by Versailles.
“It keeps my real-estate juices flowing,” Trump said.
Weeks later, in June, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz came for his first official visit to the White House. As the two leaders sat down in the gold-drenched room, they discussed support for Ukraine, NATO spending and trade relations.
A stark contrast
Compared with the Biden era, the change is striking. In November 2024, when Biden welcomed Trump as president-elect, the mantel held a simple green ivy and the portraits were generously spaced. Even late in Trump’s first term, gold accents were modest by comparison.
Now the space has become a maximalist showcase. The Washington portrait dominates the fireplace wall, flanked by tightly packed portraits of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Jackson and Ronald Reagan.
The bronze bust of Winston Churchill — removed during Obama’s presidency, reinstated during Trump’s first term, removed again under Biden — has returned once more, positioned next to the fireplace alongside the Martin Luther King Jr. bust, which itself sparked an early controversy during Trump’s first term.
On his first day back in January, seated at the Resolute Desk, Trump smiled when asked how it felt to return.
“Oh, what a great feeling. One of the better feelings I’ve ever had,” he said.
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