Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticized the White House makeover being undertaken by Donald Trump, arguing that the gold-heavy decor reflects the president’s personality and comparing the appearance to Saddam Hussein’s palaces.
Gold-heavy decor has become a hallmark of the administration’s White House renovation, prominently concentrated in ceilings, plasterwork, door frames, and furniture throughout the West Wing.
Appearing on the Pivot podcast hosted by Kara Swisher, Clinton blasted the makeover, saying the “tackied up” decor is reminiscent of the late Iraqi dictator’s palaces. She described the choices as a reflection of a narcissistic personality and a need to feel important by sticking gold embellishments across the walls of the Oval Office.
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Clinton, who previously oversaw renovation work to the White House Blue Room during her time as First Lady, has turned into a fierce critic of the ongoing overhauls to the complex.
She questioned what future leadership would do with ongoing construction projects, referring to the planned White House ballroom as a carbuncle on the side of the building. During the interview, she also joked about being willing to take on the role of cleaning up and fixing the decor after Trump leaves office.
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Responding to Clinton’s remarks, White House spokesman Davis Ingle released a statement pointing to her 2016 election loss. Ingle stated that Clinton never had the opportunity to decorate the Oval Office as president because she suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Donald Trump from which she has never recovered.
The administration has continued to leave its mark on the White House complex, with gold detailing remaining a central focus of the aesthetic changes implemented across the West Wing and the Oval Office.