Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticised President Donald Trump’s ongoing makeover of the White House, taking aim at the extensive use of gold decorations and comparing the aesthetic to the palaces of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Speaking during an appearance on Kara Swisher’s Pivot podcast, Clinton argued that the changes to the presidential residence reflect Trump’s personality and his preference for elaborate gold detailing.
Gold decorations have become a prominent feature of the renovation, appearing across sections of the West Wing and Oval Office, including ceilings, plasterwork, door frames and furniture.
Clinton described the White House as having been “tackied up” and compared the appearance to Saddam Hussein’s palaces.
She also linked the design choices to what she described as Trump’s narcissistic personality and desire to project importance through the extensive use of gold embellishments.
Clinton has personal experience with White House restoration work. During her time as First Lady, she was involved in renovation efforts involving the Blue Room.
During the podcast conversation, she also questioned what a future administration would do with some of the changes currently being made to the presidential complex.
She specifically criticised plans for a new White House ballroom, describing the proposed addition as a “carbuncle” on the side of the historic building.
Clinton jokingly suggested that she would be willing to help clean up and restore the White House decor after Trump eventually leaves office.
The White House responded sharply to her criticism.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle referenced Clinton’s defeat to Trump in the 2016 presidential election, arguing that she never had the opportunity to decorate the Oval Office as president.
According to Ingle, Clinton suffered a “humiliating defeat” to Trump from which he claimed she had never recovered.
The exchange represents the latest public clash between Clinton and the Trump administration, nearly a decade after the two faced each other in the 2016 presidential election.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has continued with changes across the White House complex, with gold detailing remaining a prominent feature of the redesigned spaces.
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