With the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the White House Oval Office has been refurbished to suit his tastes.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 20th (local time) that "Trump's staff exclusively revealed the newly renovated interior of the White House Oval Office to the media," detailing the changes compared to the time of former President Joe Biden.
The most significant change is the replacement of portraits. In the White House Oval Office now occupied by the new president, the portrait of the 32nd U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt has been removed, and the portrait of the 7th President Andrew Jackson has returned. Jackson is known to be a figure personally admired by President Trump.
Jackson, a former military man, is regarded as a war hero in the United States. Americans are more familiar with him as the figure depicted on the $20 bill. While many former U.S. presidents, including Ronald Reagan, have displayed portraits of Jackson, President Trump is particularly known for his special affection for Jackson. During his first term, he also hung Jackson's portrait in the Oval Office.
However, Jackson is also a historically controversial figure among U.S. presidents. The most criticized aspect of his legacy is the forced relocation policy of Native Americans that he implemented. Under the Indian Removal Act enacted in 1830, Jackson forcibly relocated Native Americans living east of the Mississippi River to reservations in Arkansas and Oklahoma, resulting in the deaths of approximately 4,000 Native Americans due to cold and disease during the forced migration.
Some have criticized that President Trump's anti-immigration policies resemble Jackson's forced relocation of Native Americans.
It is not only Jackson's portrait that has returned to the White House. The bust of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, which was removed from the Oval Office when President Biden took office in 2021, was also restored to the office on this day.
The so-called "Coke button" placed on the desk was reportedly reinstalled after four years. It is known that during his first term, President Trump would press the Coke button to have a Diet Coke brought to him when he wanted one during work. However, AFP reported that President Trump has not confirmed whether the button was reinstalled.
The carpet that President Trump laid in the Oval Office during his first term has also returned. This carpet was first used by former President Ronald Reagan, and WSJ explained that to install the carpet, the "Resolute Desk" (the president's exclusive desk) had to be disassembled and reassembled.
WSJ evaluated, "U.S. presidents tend to personalize their Oval Offices by selecting artworks and artifacts that emphasize the values they pursue and the policy goals of their administration," adding, "The newly decorated Oval Office each time a new president takes office serves as a symbol reminding of the change in administration."
The renovation work of the White House Oval Office this time was completed in just a few hours on the morning of the day. At the time of the work, former President Biden was staying in the White House building, while President Trump was conducting the inauguration ceremony.
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