President Donald Trump received a dubious reaction from Fox News personality Laura Ingraham after he touted the Oval Office's gold decor as "real gold" while giving her a tour.
The Oval Office has been significantly revamped since Trump took office in January—it features, among other things, fireplace adorned with gold cherubs and medallions, surrounded by portraits of American statesmen in ornate gold frames and shelves filled with gilded figurines, urns, and freshly installed Rococo mirrors.
Trump is known for his gaudy taste in decor—and he couldn't help but brag about it while showing Ingraham around.
Trump boasted:
“You can’t imitate gold, real gold. There’s no paint that imitates gold.”
An incredulous Ingraham asked:
“So these aren’t like from Home Depot or something?”
Trump replied:
“No, this is not Home Depot stuff. This is not Home Depot.”
You can see their interaction in the video below.
One eagle-eyed social media user pointed out that one wall piece in the Oval Office is actually a polyurethane applique & onlay moulding from Home Depot—just painted gold.
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Ingraham's reaction had people cackling.
In August, Washington Post columnist Philip Kennicot noted that the Oval Office gilding "is especially out of character with the architecture, history and spirit of the building, which is a refined mix of simplicity and grandeur, a democratic space with a few imperial touches."
Kennicot wrote that "these changes represent the whim of the president, who seems immune to the idea that the White House is the sum of its history, a possession held in trust and a symbol not just of power but of domesticity." Trump, he observed, "is certainly resistant to the idea that major changes to the building would be improved by a more transparent, collaborative and thoughtful process."
Unsurprising when you consider that Trump recently ordered the demolition of the entire East Wing to make way for a 90,000 square foot ballroom that archivists and preservationists say will overwhelm the executive mansion.
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