As the peaceful transfer of power takes place between presidential administrations on Inauguration Day, a lot of changes get made on the fly. While one family moves out and another moves in, decor and family possessions get switched out in a matter of hours. But it is not only the residential quarters for the First Family that gets a makeover.
The most famous office in the world gets a speedy transformation as well. So, is President Trump keeping anything from Joe Biden’s Oval Office decor in his Oval Office?
President Trump’s Oval Office is ready to go — and the Diet Coke button (valet button) is back.
These photos from the Wall Street Journal just now.
(Link in post below) pic.twitter.com/P8ogEcXiyS
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 20, 2025
Well, yes and no. On Monday afternoon, several of Trump’s aides gave the Wall Street Journal a peek at the latest version of the Oval Office. The Resolute Desk was shiny, polished, and ready to go in anticipation of the flurry of executive orders to be signed. There was a full tray of pens at the ready, and the now-famous “Diet Coke button” is hooked up for use.
Most people like to decorate their office not only as a place where they will be comfortable, they will be spending a lot of time, but also as a place that exudes confidence and a place where things are going to get done.
READ MORE: Inauguration Day: From the First to the 47th, Presidential Celebrations Then and Now
The Oval Office conveys something about the current occupant, but more than that, it is a place that must convey American strength and the importance of the Office of the President of the United States. It is a place where the President greets foreign heads of State, Congressional leaders and addressed the nation.
The art chosen is one way to do that. For Donald Trump, some of those works of art include a portrait of George Washington over the fireplace, replacing the sizable portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt that Biden had hung there. On one side of that portrait hangs another of Alexander Hamilton, America’s first Treasury Secretary, and on the other side, a portrait of Thomas Jefferson. Returning to the “Oval” is a bust of Winston Churchill that Joe Biden had removed when he took over in 2021. There is also a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. that is a favorite of both Biden and Trump and will remain in the Oval Office. On the mantel sits two new silver eagle figures.
Churchill bust has returned to the Oval Office.
The world is healing. 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/3zjeGy1HXG
— Chris Rose (@ArchRose90) January 21, 2025
Most Presidents like to decorate their version of the Oval Office with items that highlight the values and goals of their administration. Trump’s Oval Office also includes portraits of Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Jackson. During Trump’s first term, he had a portrait of Jackson, the nation’s seventh President, on loan from the U.S. Naval Academy.
The 2025 version is from the White House art collection. Joe Biden selected the portrait of Franklin for his focus on science. Donald Trump has opted to keep it. A portrait of Jackson also hung in Ronald Reagan’s Oval Office.
Even more mundane details like the Oval Office rug, a blue one that Joe Biden had under the Resolute Desk, was exchanged for a more neutral color for Trump. Another returning item from Trump’s first term is a sculpture called “The Bronco Buster” by Frederic Remington. Behind the Resolute Desk are flags from all branches of the military, flags that were removed during Joe Biden’s time in office. Gold curtains were installed for Trump’s first term, and Biden kept those and they will remain. Joe Biden also kept a bust of Robert F. Kennedy in the Oval Office. Trump has removed that and gone one better, nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Then there are the personal items that presidents like to keep around in the Oval Office. Ronald Reagan had his famous jelly beans, Barack Obama kept a bowl of apples on a nearby coffee table, and Joe Biden kept chocolate chip cookies handy.
Donald Trump’s pick of personal items may indicate that he doesn’t have time for apples and cookies and is just ready to get to work. The table that once held apples and cookies now simply holds a bouquet of flowers and a paperweight emblazoned with the word “Trump.” You can tell a whole lot by a person’s office.
SEE ALSO: Random Inauguration Day Observations (in No Particular Order)
The Diet Coke button returns to the Oval Office after Trump inauguration https://t.co/o0UoEQxZqK pic.twitter.com/a6Fn2PRuBY
— New York Post (@nypost) January 21, 2025
