By Marni Rose McFallShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA gold sign spotted at the White House has become shrouded in mystery, after The Washington Post reported the sign was no longer there, shortly after first being noticed in early November.
Why It Matters
Since returning to the White House, Trump has overseen some of the most significant renovations to the people’s house in modern presidential history, from the Rose Garden being bulldozed and paved over, to bathroom renovations and the construction of a ballroom in the East Wing.
...Renovations in and around the Oval Office have piqued particular public interest.
Both in and outside the room have been decorated, from the sign outside to the adornment of gold medallions, gold vermeil figurines, gold eagles, and gilded Rococo mirrors within.
What To Know
Earlier this month, a photo circulated online of gold letters on the exterior of the White House that read 'The Oval Office'. The sign quickly became a flash point in online culture, with ridicule being directed at it online, Democrats using it as a means to criticize the then-ongoing government shutdown, and it appearing in a joke made by late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon.
Now, the sign appears to have gone.
But the style is consistent with others at the White House. The new Presidential Walk of Fame, where portraits of presidents hang outside the West Wing, has a sign in the same font.
It could well be that the sign will reappear, and in the same spot. Or, it could move somewhere else in the building.
In a statement to Newsweek about the renovations and the White House, and the subsequent criticism, Davis R. Ingle, a White House spokesperson, said that Trump is “making the White House beautiful.”
Renovations, including the construction of a ballroom, are ongoing and have been met with praise by Trump’s supporters and condemnation by his critics.
What People Are Saying
Davis R. Ingle, a White House spokesperson, in a statement to Newsweek: "President Trump is making the White House beautiful and giving it the glory it deserves. Only people with a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome would find a problem with that."
The official account for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, in a post on X: “President Trump added a paper sign that says 'The Oval Office' outside the Oval Office. Joe Biden was like, “Even I didn’t need a sign telling me what room I was in...”
What's Next
The sign could reappear, be made permanent, or not be seen again at the White House, but for now, its fate remains a mystery.
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