President Donald Trump has bedazzled the White House in gold flourishes to go along with the changes he's made to the presidency since returning to office.
The president has used executive orders to make sweeping changes to the federal government and claimed expansive powers that are being challenged in courts, shaking up the global order and rattling the stock market. And while his transformation of the White House isn't quite as dramatic, it's not lacking in subtlety, reported the Wall Street Journal.
"Trump has turned parts of the White House gold, making the world’s most famous address look more like Mar-a-Lago, his Florida club," the newspaper reported. "To assist with the White House makeover, Trump brought in a man that one of his advisers referred to as the president’s 'gold guy.'"
South Florida cabinetmaker John Icart, who's worked on projects at Mar-a-Lago, has added gilded carvings for the fireplace mantel and the molding that wraps around the Oval Office, and administration officials say the president personally oversaw their installation and brought gold cherubs from his private resort home to the White House.
“It’s the Golden Office for the Golden Age,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
A large gold FIFA World Cup trophy is displayed next to the Resolute Desk, while seven gold vases and urns decorate the mantle that had previously been adorned with plants during Joe Biden's presidency and Trump's first term, and officials said the president brought in experts to determine whether he could hang a chandelier in the Oval Office.
"The [chandelier] project didn’t immediately go forward because the chandelier was too heavy for the part of the ceiling they examined," the Journal reported. "The project could still go forward in a different area, a senior administration official said."
The president is making over the White House in other ways to more closely resemble Mar-a-Lago, where he hosted nightly parties and played DJ after dinner during his time out of office.
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"The same day Trump moved into the White House, he got to work envisioning changes to his workspace, including building a patio in the Rose Garden so he can dine al fresco and host outdoor parties, according to people familiar with the discussions," the Journal reported. "The president has also noted that women’s high heels could get stuck in the Rose Garden’s grass, the people said."
"He has also talked about building a ballroom on the grounds of the White House to hold functions, the people said," according to the newspaper.