“Gaudy and Cheap” — That’s How Some Describe Trump’s New Oval Office Sign

In the latest episode of “Donald Trump Makes the White House Great Again,” Trump has decided that the Oval Office needs a sign of its own, so he’s affixing one that literally reads “The Oval Office” in gold lettering right outside its door. Kidding, Donald Trump doesn’t actually have a White House renovation show (though at this point, he might as well). But he is preparing to add gold lettering outside the Oval Office to give it a more “official” label.

Needless to say, the timing couldn’t be worse. As Trump continues to propose and implement costly renovations to the White House, people across the country are going hungry and missing paychecks thanks to what has now become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

Here’s what we know about the Oval Office sign, some of the other renovations Trump is making to what he’ll only be calling home for roughly another three years, and how people are reacting to it all.

Donald Trump has decided that the outside wall of the Oval Office needs a sign, in cursive gold script, that properly labels the space, and so, naturally, he’s getting one. The sign was first spotted by reporters who caught a glimpse of it as they filmed Trump walking out of the office on Nov. 5, 2025, later sharing the clip across social platforms for people to, of course, share their opinions and unsolicited advice.

The large script lettering appears to be printed on paper, likely serving as a mock-up of what the real sign will look like, and, of course, it’s gold. If you haven’t heard, Trump has quite literally “golded out” the entire Oval Office. He’s added more photos of past presidents, each framed with a fresh layer of gold paint, not to mention several new gold accents around the fireplace, including vases and ornaments placed across the mantle.

Door frames are now outlined in gold, and apparently, he’s even added gold coasters with Trump written on them, per The Guardian.

According to a White House spokesperson who spoke with Fox News, per The Guardian, Trump is personally covering the costs of his gold obsession, though it’s unclear if that extends to the upcoming Oval Office sign.

Either way, people are pretty upset about it, especially considering these modifications aren’t exactly necessary, and almost seem like a waste of money since it’s not even his property. Not to mention, with the government shutdown still dragging on, people are going without paychecks, losing benefits, and preparing for higher healthcare costs.

People aren’t just upset about Trump’s wasteful spending on White House renovations; they’re also not a fan of all the gold. One person wrote on X (formerly Twitter) under a photo of the new Oval Office sign, “It’s like Temu and SHEIN got together and s--t all over the White House!” Another commented, “How f--in embarrassing.”

Meanwhile, Gavin Newsom’s office decided to create its own mock image (and share it on X) of the sign that reads “Live, Laugh, Lose” instead of “The Oval Office.” From there, everyone began posting their own mock-ups of what they felt were more fitting signs to hang outside the Oval Office, at least while Trump is still serving his presidency.