President Donald Trump unveiled his latest renovation project on Friday as he seeks to leave a lasting mark on the People’s House in his second term.
“I renovated the Lincoln Bathroom in the White House,” he announced on Truth Social.
The formerly mint-green bathroom, adjacent to the Victorian-era Lincoln Bedroom, is now top-to-bottom white marble with charcoal veins, accented by the president’s very favorite color — gold.
“It was renovated in the 1940s in an art deco green tile style, which was totally inappropriate for the Lincoln Era,” Trump wrote of the room. “I did it in black and white polished Statuary marble. This was very appropriate for the time of Abraham Lincoln and, in fact, could be the marble that was originally there!”
Trump’s extravagant use of marble provides a sharp contrast to the rest of the space, named after the heavy rosewood set of bedroom furniture acquired by Mary Todd Lincoln in 1861. Former first lady Barbara Bush returned the Lincoln Bedroom to what is believed to be its original style two decades ago, using yellow diamond-patterned wallpaper and a gold-and-green rug.
Trump had teased the renovation earlier this month, saying that “art deco doesn’t go with 1850 and civil wars.” Lincoln was president from 1861 to 1865.
Commentators panned the renovation on social media by pointing out that millions of Americans are facing food insecurity and looming health care cuts as a result of the monthlong government shutdown, while Trump has refused to meet with congressional Democrats to discuss a compromise. Some took issue with Trump’s taste, likening it to that of a dictator.
And others questioned his version of history
Wrote one commentator on Bluesky: “Dog, the ‘period-appropriate’ Lincoln bathroom renovation might be the funniest thing that mf has ever posted.”
The marble bathroom looks out over the now-demolished East Wing, which is set to become an enormous ballroom.
Other targets of the president’s renovations have included the Oval Office, now slathered in gilded accents; the Rose Garden, now paved; and the Palm Room, also marbleized. He added two new flagpoles that tower over the White House, and a presidential portrait wall that omits a photograph of former President Joe Biden.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had also “inspected” another of his projects on Friday — the Kennedy Center, which is also getting a marble finish.
In August, a source told People magazine that the Trumps were attempting to turn the White House into a version of their Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, because they apparently “would prefer to be in Palm Beach” rather than Washington.