The American president, Donald Trump, returns to the White House this Monday with an Oval Office redecorated to his liking and which, as in his first term (2017-2021), includes the button he had on his desk to order Coca-Cola.
That button, which went viral in his first four years in power, disappeared with Democrat Joe Biden and has returned, according to the first images that have been released from the Republican president’s new office.
Trump is known for his taste for Diet Coke.
“Out of nowhere, he suddenly pressed the button. Not knowing what to do, the guests looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Moments later, a butler entered the room with a full glass of Diet Coke on a silver tray, and Trump started laughing,” The Hill said about his first years in the White House.
That button has not been the only change. Like four years ago, a portrait of George Washington (1789-1797), the country’s first leader, now hangs above the fireplace. It is flanked by a portrait of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, and another of Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), the third president.
According to the visit to which The Wall Street Journal had exclusive access, the bust of human rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. remains, and new silver figures of eagles have been placed above the fireplace.
There is also a bust of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1940-1945), which Trump had in his first Presidency but which Biden (2021-2025) removed from the Oval Office upon coming to power.
Every time a new president takes office, he applies more or less significant changes to the decoration of the presidential residence.
The Wall Street Journal recalls that Biden hung a portrait of Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the nation, to highlight his commitment to science, and Trump has maintained it in this new stage. According to that newspaper, staff made the modifications while the Democrat was still in the building.
Trump has also recovered a carpet of neutral tones that he used in his first term, compared to the deep blue one installed by his now predecessor, and has replaced the flags of the different branches of the armed forces, which Biden had also taken.
