At first glance, the three sheets of decal paper affixed outside the White House, featuring the words “The Oval Office” in gleaming gold cursive, seemed to perfectly capture President Trump’s penchant for opulence. While supporters appreciated this touch of grandeur, critics were quick to compare the font to that of the Cheesecake Factory logo and the kind of mass-produced decor typical in suburban homes.

The sign has since disappeared as mysteriously as it arrived. The White House remains tight-lipped about its removal, though a spokesperson affirmed that the president personally designed the lettering. “He’s deeply engaged in these beautification efforts… [President Trump] is dedicated to restoring the White House to its rightful grandeur,” the spokesperson remarked, dismissing objections as symptoms of “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Just months into his renewed presidency, Trump has embarked on an ambitious renovation of the presidential residence, ranging from the contentious new ballroom, which necessitated significant demolition, to a series of more lavish enhancements.

Recently, Trump unexpectedly demolished the East Wing of the White House, traditionally reserved for the First Lady’s offices, to pave the way for a $300 million ballroom slated for completion by the end of his term. He has upgraded the Lincoln bathroom with marble finishes, introduced new sculptures, revamped the Rose Garden, and established a “Presidential Walk of Fame” adorned in ornate gold, showcasing portraits of past presidents—with the notable exception of Joe Biden, who is represented solely by an autopen.

The aesthetic will feel instantly familiar to anyone who has walked through Mar-a-Lago’s gilded parlors or the opulent lobbies of Trump’s hotels and clubs. The same heavy gold accents, sweeping script signage, and palace-style décor dominate his properties from the Trump International Golf Club to the soaring Trump Palace building.

To critics, the White House is being brought in line with the Trump brand: shimmering chandeliers, glittering shine, and maximalist luxury. To supporters, it’s long overdue grandeur. Rick Paulus, who served as the White House’s chief calligrapher under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, tells the Daily Mail that, deep down, he suspects most staffers would be ‘against this crap.’ ‘It is the people’s house… we are not pompous, or not supposed to be at least,’ Paulus said. ‘That is why we don’t have gilded halls, for a reason. It’s all about tradition – this guy doesn’t give a hoot about tradition.

There is gold at the White House, little accents here and there, but it isn’t bling bling everywhere you look, with tacky lettering to identify that you are on the east colonnade.’ He recalled that during his tenure, First Ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush oversaw tasteful renovations — from the Blue Room to the East Wing’s calligraphy office — while presidents themselves generally stayed out of the décor business. ‘Presidents themselves probably had a small role in this stuff; they didn’t really spend this kind of time doing this. I would hope they have bigger things on their plate,’ Paulus said. 

As for the president’s chosen font, Paulus doesn’t mince words. He calls it ‘pedestrian’ — both literally and figuratively. ‘Shelley’ is the sort of pedestrian font among scripts. Not particularly beautiful… scripts are better when they are narrower and compressed; this one is round. It is the most basic of the scripts,’ Paulus remarked. And in his view, it shows. ‘If you want to do any branding at that level, you don’t go for the cheesiest and most accessible font, you have a designer design something that suits it, that makes it unique,’ he said. ‘They totally did not care about that. He saw gold and script and said it was amazing. I wouldn’t say he has a discerning eye.’