Reports and a television investigation say several of the gold-painted embellishments in President Donald Trump’s Oval Office are inexpensive do-it-yourself pieces sold at a national hardware retailer, prompting mockery online and renewed scrutiny of the room’s decor.
The Mirror reported this week that decorative “polyurethane appliqué” pieces marketed for home use are available at Home Depot for about $58, and Inside Edition said it found several plastic molds painted gold among the Oval Office trimmings. The Daily Mail, which first reported on the online reaction, said it could not independently verify the Mirror’s claim and that it had reached out to the White House for comment.
Nine months into his second term, the gold accents have been more noticeable during visits from foreign leaders and at press conferences. Trump has repeatedly boasted about redecorating the Oval Office with what he described as “24 karat” gold features, telling Fox News host Laura Ingraham that the angel figures placed over doorways were intended to bring good luck.
The president has also said he paid for the redecorations himself and that taxpayers were not billed. The Mirror’s account and Inside Edition’s reporting, by contrast, suggest the items are mass-produced decorative pieces rather than the solid-gold fixtures the president has described.
Social media users criticized the apparent contrast between the rhetoric and the reported sourcing. One account on X called the decorations “spray-painted, plastic Home Depot castings,” while another, writing under the handle @AntiTrumpCanada, wrote: “Imagine running the free world and still decorating like a broke mobster’s wife in Jersey.” Liberal-leaning users also mocked what they called a “tacky gold Home Depot bric-a-brac” aesthetic.
The Mirror said the gold motif extends to a paperweight stamped with Trump’s name on his desk. Inside Edition’s reporting included instances of painted molds and appliqués used as ornamental accents. Neither outlet provided independent, on-the-record confirmation from the White House that the items had been purchased at the retailer.
The debate over the décor comes amid broader scrutiny of the administration’s presentation and public messaging. Earlier this month, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised the president’s “commitment to Gold Standard Science,” a comment that drew replies referencing the Oval Office’s gold decorations.
Before entering politics, Trump built a business known for luxury-branded properties including golf courses, hotels and private clubs. The juxtaposition of gold-themed décor and reports that pieces may be inexpensive retail items has drawn public attention given the president’s longstanding emphasis on opulence.
The Daily Mail reported it had sought comment from the White House but did not include a response in its story. The Mirror and Inside Edition said their findings were based on online product listings and on-site reporting, respectively. The outlets’ accounts diverge from Trump’s description of the materials and financing of the redecorations.
The story underscores how symbolic elements of the presidency — from furnishings to public remarks about them — can quickly become points of political debate and cultural commentary. As of publication, no official White House statement confirming the origin or cost of the decorative pieces had been published by the administration.