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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Jonathan Yerushalmy

Before and after: Trump’s extreme goldening of the Oval Office

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in the Oval Office in August
Glints of gold in the decor behind Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they meet in the Oval Office in August. Photograph: Planetpix/Alamy

In just seven extraordinary months, Donald Trump’s administration has left an unprecedented mark on the United States. From rewriting the rules of free trade to upending the norms of due process and challenging scientific orthodoxy, no corner of the country has remained untouched, including the president’s own centre of power: the Oval Office.

Leaning into his former career as a real estate developer and hotelier, the president has, in his own words, applied some “Trump touches” to the room’s decor. The results have split opinions, with some calling the revamped office a symbol of America’s new golden age, while others have compared it to a professional wrestler’s dressing room.

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