The saga of President Donald Trump’s adding gold to the White House aesthetic continues.
Last week, the White House introduced new permanent gold signs marking the entrances to the Oval Office and the West Wing.
Images posted by White House correspondents show gold-lettered plaques mounted beside the exterior doors, replacing earlier temporary paper signs.
Highlights
- The White House installed permanent gold plaques for the Oval Office and West Wing, replacing temporary paper signs.
- Social media users mocked the plaques' design, comparing them to tacky hotels and suburban golf courses.
- Many users speculated the gold signs highlight concerns about Trump's memory and possible dementia.
- Construction on Trump’s controversial $300M ballroom proceeds amid architect changes and regulatory delays.
The White House added permanent gold signs marking the Oval Office and West Wing
Image credits: Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images
CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins shared photos of the updated signage.
The images show a polished plaque reading “The Oval Office” placed next to the building’s doorway.
Image credits: Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images
Another plaque, labeled “The West Wing,” appears on a nearby wall.
Both signs feature cursive writing and appear to be fixed in place.
Social media users left no stone unturned in trolling the plaques.
“Like a suburban New Jersey golf course that also does bar mitzvahs,” one user said, while another compared it to “a one star Chinese restaurant in the suburbs,” and a third called it a “cheap tacky hotel.”
One user even compared the font to his mother’s art projects. “This looks like the exact font my Mom used to stencil Live Laugh Love in her kitchen.”
Image credits: X
“Oh, the gold-plated ego trip continues. Next up: a ‘Trump Wing’ with slot machines and Mar-a-Lago wallpaper. Leave the People’s House to actual presidents, Donnie—your tackiness is the real national emergency,” one user complained.
One user joked, “When you get a dymo label maker for christmas,” while another said it looked like “somebody went to Home Depot and bought address letters!”
Social media users likened the look of the plaques to a ‘cheap tacky hotel’
Image credits: X
Another likened it to “one of the resorts where they give the coffee shop and the Irish pub clever names so it feels like you live in a real town and not a weird all inclusive dystopia.”
“Gold signs plastered around the White House make it look less like the seat of government and more like a branded hotel lobby. It’s the presidency reduced to décor — all gleam, no gravity,” an X user noted.
Image credits: X
However, the prevailing theory and comments questioned why the White House even needs the labels, and whether it was Trump who was getting lost.
“It’s because it’s Alzheimer’s makes it hard for him to remember where the rooms are,” one X user said.
Image credits: X
“He has far more into the process of dementia than anyone wants to realize,” another noted. A third claimed, “Dementia. The President is demented. He’s getting MRIs for his Leqembi injections.”
Rumors about Trump’s health have been at an all-time high.
Image credits: X
Trump’s recent behavior, such as dozing off in meetings, hurling insults at reporters, and reports of him getting an MRI, have fueled the concerns people already had after Trump started showing bruises on his hands and swollen ankles.
Last month, Trump’s niece also told The Daily Beast Podcast that the president was showing signs of dementia similar to his father.
Many users hypothesized that the plaques show Trump has dementia and forgets where the rooms are
California congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove recently said that Trump’s bruised hand is due to the president taking Alzheimer's medication.
“The Alzheimer's drug Leqembi: Is administered through an infusion (for example, through the hand), can cause swelling, bleeding, or fluid leakage in the brain, requiring regular MRIs, can cause tiredness,” she wrote on X.
This is not the first time Trump’s White House decor has been criticized. Since Trump retook office in January, the White House has undergone a gold-touched makeover with gold trophies, ornaments, and gilded frames in the Oval Office.
Image credits: X
Other furnishings and wall decor have been added to match Trump’s new golden-era theme. Back in August, social media users compared several of Trump’s golden decorations to moldings sold at Home Depot for as little as $60. Some called it “Design on a Dime” or “Temu trailer park.”
Separately, the White House confirmed Thursday that a second architectural firm has been added to Trump’s $300 million ballroom project.
The Washington Post first reported that architect Shalom Baranes of Washington, D.C., was added as construction moves into the next phase.
The BBC reported that the move came after Trump had a falling-out with the architect James McCrery over the scope of the ballroom.
Image credits: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
McCrery, who will remain as a consultant, was allegedly concerned that the 90,000 sq ft structure would overshadow the rest of the White House.
The White House is also expected to submit the plans for the ballroom to a federal planning commission before the year ends—three months after construction began.
Trump tore down the East Wing despite no sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission, which has jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings.