Grammy-winning musician Jack White has ignited a fierce public spat with the Trump White House after lambasting the president’s latest Oval Office redecoration as “vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy”—a critique that quickly spiraled into a war of words, political jabs, and social media spectacle. The controversy erupted on August 18, 2025, when White, the former White Stripes frontman known for his outspoken views and the hit "Seven Nation Army," posted a striking photo on Instagram. The image showed President Donald Trump meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the newly revamped Oval Office, resplendent with gold-colored chairs, gilded trinkets, and golden statues.
White’s caption pulled no punches: “Look at how disgusting Trump has transformed the historic White House. It's now a vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy professional wrestler's dressing room. Can't wait for the UFC match on the front lawn too.” He went on, “He's almost fully achieved the movie Idiocracy. Look at his disgusting taste. Would you even buy a used car from this conman, let alone give him the nuclear codes? A gold plated Trump bible would look perfect up on that mantle with a pair of Trump shoes on either side wouldn't it? What an embarrassment to American history.” The post, which quickly garnered likes from fellow musicians Olivia Rodrigo and Maren Morris, also included a sly nod to Zelensky: “Also pictured in this photograph, a REAL leader of a nation in a black suit.”
The White House, rarely one to let such criticism slide, hit back the following day. Communications Director Steven Cheung responded via The Daily Beast, branding White a “washed up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media because he clearly has ample time on his hands due to his stalled career.” Cheung didn’t stop there, adding, “It’s apparent he’s been masquerading as a real artist, because he fails to appreciate, and quite frankly disrespects, the splendor and significance of the Oval Office inside of ‘The People’s House.’”
White, never known for holding his tongue, returned fire on August 20. In a follow-up Instagram post, he called Cheung a “professional liar” and mocked the administration’s priorities: “How petty and pathetic and thin-skinned could this administration get? ‘Masquerading as a real artist?’ Thank you for giving me my tombstone engraving.” White then launched into a broader critique of Trump and his supporters, writing, “Being insulted by the actual White House that this particular conman leads is a huge badge of honor for me, because anyone who Trump supports and likes is a villain who gives nothing to their fellow man, only takes what can benefit themselves.”
White’s critique didn’t stop at interior design. He accused Trump of “masquerading as a human being, Christian, leader, and person with actual empathy,” and described him as “a danger to not just America, but the entire world, and that’s not an exaggeration, he’s dismantling democracy and endangering the planet on a daily basis.” According to Billboard and The Independent, White also pointed out the irony that his decor criticism drew a White House response while his previous, more serious political attacks—including calling Trump an “obvious fascist” after the 2024 election—had not. “How funny that it wasn't me calling out Trump's blatant fascist manipulation of government, his gestapo ICE tactics, his racist remarks about Latinos, Native Americans, etc.,” White remarked.
The spat has shone a spotlight on Trump’s controversial decorative choices for the Oval Office. According to Business Insider, Trump’s changes include a lighter rug featuring the presidential seal and olive branches, an array of flags from different U.S. military branches, and a lavish assortment of gold embellishments—cherubs, vases, and urns imported from his Mar-a-Lago estate. The effect, as White described, is “paving over your rose garden, your 200 million dollar ballroom in the White House, and your gaudy ass gold spray painted trinkets from Home Depot.”
But for Trump’s supporters, these decorative flourishes are a celebration of American splendor and presidential grandeur. Cheung insisted that White’s comments “disrespect the splendor and significance of the Oval Office,” suggesting that the gold accents are not just a matter of taste, but a statement about the office’s importance and Trump’s vision for American leadership. For critics, however, the gold-laden look is emblematic of what they see as Trump’s penchant for excess, self-promotion, and disregard for tradition.
This isn’t the first time Jack White has clashed with Trump or his administration. In September 2024, White and his ex-wife Meg White filed a lawsuit against Trump for the unauthorized use of “Seven Nation Army” in a campaign video. That suit was dropped in November 2024, but the animosity has hardly cooled. In February 2025, White publicly defended Ukrainian President Zelensky after a heated clash with Trump at the White House over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as reported by USA Today. White has also used his platform to mock Trump at concerts, once altering the lyrics of his song “Corporation” to jab at the president’s lack of military service and political experience: “I’m thinking about not being elected. Never holding a public office. Never serving one day of military service. But somehow having the authority to control parts of the U.S. Government. Who’s with me?”
For many, the feud is about more than just interior design or celebrity ego—it’s a microcosm of broader cultural and political divisions. White framed his criticism in anti-fascist terms, referencing a Theodore Roosevelt quote about the patriotic duty of criticizing presidents. He also condemned what he described as Trump’s ignorance of humanitarian crises in Sudan, Gaza, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, arguing that the administration’s focus on style over substance was both revealing and troubling.
Trump’s defenders, meanwhile, see the administration’s response as justified, arguing that attacks on the president’s personal taste are a distraction from more substantive policy debates. The sharp exchange between White and the White House has prompted both sides to dig in, with each accusing the other of pettiness and misplaced priorities.
The spectacle has played out across social media and news outlets, with fans, critics, and fellow musicians weighing in. While some see White’s willingness to speak out as a sign of artistic integrity and civic engagement, others dismiss his comments as self-serving publicity stunts. The White House’s decision to respond so forcefully to a musician’s Instagram post has also raised eyebrows, with some questioning whether the administration’s skin is, in fact, a bit too thin.
As the dust settles, the gold-leafed Oval Office remains—and so does the debate over what it represents. For Jack White, being called out by the Trump administration is, as he put it, “a huge badge of honor.” For the White House, defending the president’s taste is apparently a matter of principle. For the rest of America, it’s another chapter in the ongoing saga of politics, celebrity, and the struggle over national identity—played out in gold and Instagram posts for all to see.
