Nothing says "serious policy interview" quite like having to defend whether your office decorations came from the home improvement aisle. But that's exactly where President Donald Trump found himself during a recent Fox News sit-down with Laura Ingraham.
The interview started normally enough, covering policy topics like Trump's proposed 50-year mortgage plan aimed at improving home affordability and his immigration initiatives. Then it took a turn into interior design territory when Ingraham brought up viral online speculation: Were those shiny new Oval Office embellishments actually 24-karat gold, or just plastic knockoffs from Home Depot?
Trump wasn't having it. As he showed off his redecorated workspace, he mounted a spirited defense of his gilded additions.
"You know the one thing with gold? You can't imitate gold, real gold. There's no paint that imitates gold," Trump told Ingraham.
When Ingraham directly asked whether the decorations were from Home Depot, Trump's response was emphatic: "No, this is not Home Depot stuff. This is not Home Depot."
So how did we get here? The whole thing started when social media users noticed that the decorative motifs in Trump's revamped Oval Office bore a striking resemblance to a polyurethane applique available on Home Depot's website. The internet did what the internet does best, and the comparison went viral. The Home Depot product in question? It sold out shortly after the controversy gained momentum.
This decor dispute isn't happening in a vacuum. It's the latest flashpoint in a broader conversation about Trump's renovation ambitions for the White House, which have attracted significant political and public criticism.
The timing hasn't helped Trump's case. With economic uncertainty weighing on many Americans, and a federal government shutdown impacting aid programs, critics have questioned the wisdom of lavish spending on White House aesthetics.
There are also historic preservation concerns. Earlier in his term, Trump faced backlash for plans to modify the iconic White House Rose Garden, which critics viewed as an unnecessary alteration of an important piece of history.
But the rose garden controversy pales in comparison to Trump's most ambitious project: a $300 million plan to construct what he calls one of the "greatest ballrooms in the world." This undertaking required the complete demolition of the White House's East Wing.
Trump defended that decision too, saying the East Wing "looked like hell" before it was torn down.
Whether the Oval Office decorations are genuine 24-karat gold or not, the controversies surrounding Trump's high-cost, high-impact renovations aren't going away anytime soon. The debate touches on questions that go beyond interior design: How should public resources be allocated during economic hardship? What's the appropriate balance between modernization and preserving the historical character of America's most famous residence?
For now, Trump is standing firm on his design choices. The gold is real, he insists, and definitely not from the hardware store.