Donald Trump has always been known for his love of all things flashy, and now he’s showing off his latest obsession—gold—by sharing a video of the lavish decor he’s added to the White House. In a Truth Social post, the 79-year-old former real estate developer boasted about the high-end gold touches he’s added to the Oval Office and Cabinet Room, displaying a table full of gleaming gold ornaments.
Trump made sure to emphasize that the pieces were “some of the highest quality 24 Karat Gold” and proudly claimed that foreign leaders and visitors “freak out” when they see them. “Best Oval Office ever, in terms of success and look!!!” he added, clearly pleased with his gilded upgrades.
While Trump is clearly proud of his shiny new additions, some critics have compared the excessive gold decor to the opulence of European royalty—something the U.S. founders sought to avoid. Others slammed the gold trim, cherubs, medallions, and other lavish details, calling them tacky and cheap.
Despite Trump’s insistence that everything is made from “quality 24 Karat Gold,” some have pointed out that similar gold decor can be found at discount stores like Home Depot for a fraction of the price.
The timing of Trump’s post didn’t go unnoticed by many. Just hours before sharing the video, Americans were following the tragic news of a shooting at a Mormon church in Michigan, where a U.S. Marine veteran opened fire, killing at least four and injuring eight.
Trump had posted earlier that he’d been briefed on the “horrendous shooting,” calling it a “targeted attack on Christians” and demanding that “this epidemic of violence in our country must end, immediately!”
However, the video showcasing his gold obsession went live around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, drawing immediate criticism for the tone-deaf timing. One user asked, “HOW is he posting THIS after what happened last night in NC, and today in Michigan?” Another slammed the situation in a response to Vice President JD Vance’s comment about monitoring the violence, saying, “Monitoring? No, Trump is busy bragging about his 24kt gold…”
On top of the gold decor, Trump recently added another gilded item to the White House—he secured the FIFA World Cup trophy, which he proudly displayed in the Oval Office after convincing FIFA President Gianni Infantino to leave it with him. Trump admitted to the World Cup’s appeal, joking, “That’s a solid gold trophy. They know how to get to me, you know?”
Trump’s love for grandeur and gold is evident in his plans for a new grand ballroom, set to cost $200 million. The ballroom, which will be partially funded by corporate sponsors like Google, Palantir, and Lockheed Martin, is set to be much larger than the White House itself and, naturally, will feature plenty of gold accents.
He’s also made significant changes to the colonnade connecting the Executive Residence to the West Wing, filling it with gold-framed photos of all past U.S. presidents—except for Joe Biden, who was replaced with a picture of an autopen.
Trump’s gold-filled vision of the White House has certainly made a statement, but it’s raising questions about the priorities of the administration, especially in light of ongoing national tragedies.