Hello and welcome to today’s quick design spotlight. When images of President Trump’s Oval Office makeover emerged, the internet noticed one striking detail: none of the objects on the mantle were made in the U.S. The room now glitters with gold picture frames, statues, trophies—even crown molding sourced from abroad. Critics have labeled the look “tacky and trollish” and “gaudy-awful,” while Trump himself reportedly tapped his Mar-a-Lago “gold guy” to help bring his favorite Louis XIV style to life. Art historian Robert Wellington suggests, “Perhaps he’s trying to create a sense of material splendor around him that gives a sense of power and buttresses his claims to success.” Yet these gilded pieces all hail from England or France, contrasting sharply with an administration busy imposing tariffs on foreign goods. Wellington points out the irony: Louis XIV’s Versailles was a model of state-sponsored luxury production meant to showcase domestic craftsmanship. By leaning on imported ornament, Trump’s approach undermines that very legacy—and the push to “make America great again” by supporting American artisans. Thanks for listening.
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