Initially, what appeared to be three sheets of decal paper, adorned with gold cursive letters spelling ‘The Oval Office,’ were taped outside the White House. This detail seemed to perfectly match President Trump’s renowned opulent style.

While some supporters viewed this as a touch of Trumpian elegance, critics quickly compared the font to that of the Cheesecake Factory logo and the type of décor commonly found in suburban homes.

However, the enigmatic sign has disappeared just as suddenly as it appeared.

So, what exactly happened?

The White House has remained mum on the matter, although a spokesperson confirmed that the president himself was responsible for the design.

“He is deeply involved in these beautification efforts,” the spokesperson noted. “President Trump is enhancing the White House’s beauty and restoring its deserved glory,” adding that only those afflicted with ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ would take issue with the changes.

Just months into his second stint in office, Trump has launched a sweeping makeover of the presidential residence — from the controversial new ballroom that required a demolition to a whirlwind of smaller, glitzier upgrades.

Last month, Trump bulldozed the White House’s East Wing — historically home to the First Lady’s offices — with little warning, kick-starting a race to finish the $300 million ballroom before his term ends. 

The Oval Office with a new sign up front is seen at the White House in Washington on November 5

But while supporters saw a flourish of Trumpian glamour, critics immediately likened the font to the Cheesecake Factory logo and the mass-produced décor found in the homes of suburban Americans

The portraits of US presidents (Presidential Walk of Fame) are seen outside the Oval Office, except former President Joe Biden, whose portrait is an autopen copy

An excavator sits on the rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished. The demolition is part of Trump’s plan to build a ballroom on the eastern side of the White House

He has remodeled the Lincoln bathroom in marble, added new sculptures, redesigned the Rose Garden, and installed a ‘Presidential Walk of Fame’ in ornate gold featuring portraits of recent presidents — except Joe Biden, who appears only as 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.

Gold leafing and decor in the White House sets the backdrop for many visits with foreign dignitaries 

Trump holds a rendering of the planned White House Ballroom extension during a meeting with Mark Rutte, secretary general of NATO

President Donald Trump hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in the Oval Office 

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.’