Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has sharply criticized President Donald Trump's recent renovations and proposed projects around the White House and the nation's capital, describing the decor as "tacky" and drawing a comparison to the palaces of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Clinton made these remarks during an appearance on the podcast hosted by journalist Kara Swisher. Reflecting on her visits to Baghdad after the fall of Hussein, Clinton stated, "I had meetings in some of his palaces, and they were quite reminiscent of what we are seeing in our own White House. It’s just insane."
Among Trump's projects that drew Clinton's ire were the razing of the East Wing and the resurfacing of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The latter project experienced issues, with even the Justice Department acknowledging a "flawed installation" by the contractor. Clinton characterized Trump's focus on the pool repair as "absurd" and indicative of being "unhinged, obsessed and focused on all the wrong things."
Clinton also addressed Trump's proposal for a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, calling it a "terrible idea." She further commented on a proposed White House ballroom, stating, "I’m not against the idea of a ballroom. I’m against this ballroom. I’m against the process that, well — the fact there was no process that created this, you know, carbuncle on the side of the White House, which I think is so unfortunate-looking."
Regarding the interior of the Oval Office, Clinton observed that "nearly every surface" has been adorned with golden decor. She described this as "sad that it’s so tackyed up" and suggested it reflects "his narcissistic personality and his need to feel important, including sticking gold embellishments all over the walls of the Oval Office."
Clinton contrasted Trump's focus on these aesthetic changes with pressing national and international issues. "This is a man who can’t concentrate," she said. "This is a man whose mind apparently goes to, ‘Where can I add more gold?’ instead of ‘How do I get out of Iran without looking like the loser that I am?’ ‘How do I begin to, you know, deal with AI, which is a serious threat to our security, our labor force and so much else?’"
She concluded that Trump's attention is directed toward "these things that reflect my need to appear important," rather than addressing substantive challenges.