Overview

• Jack White denounced the redecorated Oval Office in an Instagram post, calling it “vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy” and likening it to a professional wrestler’s dressing room.
• His post used a photo of President Trump meeting Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky in a room now described by outlets as filled with gold vermeil figurines, gilded Rococo mirrors and other Mar-a-Lago–style touches.
• White House communications director Steven Cheung responded by calling White a “washed up, has-been loser” and claiming he disrespects the “splendor and significance” of the Oval Office.
• White later broadened his remarks in a follow-up statement, accusing Trump of endangering democracy and criticizing his conduct beyond the decor.
• Trump has not issued a personal reply, the White House has not signaled any changes to the makeover, and the exchange continues against the backdrop of White’s prior clash over unauthorized use of a White Stripes song in 2024.