Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticised President Donald Trump’s ongoing renovation of the White House, saying the gold-heavy decor reflects his personality and comparing the makeover to the palaces of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Gold detailing has become a prominent feature of the administration’s renovations, appearing on ceilings, plasterwork, door frames and furniture across parts of the West Wing and Oval Office.
Speaking on the Pivot podcast hosted by Kara Swisher, Clinton described the renovations as “tackied up” and said the decor reminded her of Saddam Hussein’s palaces.
She argued that the extensive use of gold embellishments reflected what she described as a narcissistic personality and a desire to project importance by covering parts of the Oval Office and other areas with gold accents.
Clinton, who oversaw renovation work on the White House Blue Room while serving as First Lady, has become a vocal critic of the ongoing changes to the presidential complex.
She also questioned what future administrations would do with some of the construction projects currently underway, describing the planned White House ballroom as a “carbuncle” attached to the building.
During the interview, Clinton joked that she would be willing to help clean up and restore the White House decor after Trump leaves office.
Responding to her comments, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle referenced Clinton’s defeat by Trump in the 2016 presidential election.
Ingle said Clinton never had the opportunity to decorate the Oval Office as president because she suffered a defeat at Trump’s hands that, according to him, she had never recovered from.
The Trump administration has continued to make changes to the White House complex, with gold detailing remaining a defining feature of the new aesthetic across the West Wing and Oval Office.
