In case he forgets where he works: Trump mocked for adding 'Oval Office' sign

UPDATED: Nov 6, 2025 06:01 IST

It seems even the most famous office in the world now needs a label. A temporary sign reading “The Oval Office” was spotted next to the entrance of the Oval Office at the White House — prompting a mix of laughter, disbelief, and online mockery aimed at President Donald Trump, who was away in Miami addressing the America Business Forum.

The printed sign, in gold cursive script eerily similar to the Mar-a-Lago logo, appeared to be a placeholder marking where permanent lettering might soon be added. But to many on social media, it became an instant metaphor or meme for Trump’s grandiose White House makeover.

“Oh, this is very helpful otherwise no one would be able to figure out the oval-shaped room in the West Wing is actually the Oval Office,” former Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush quipped on X.

Writer Akilah Hughes added: “It’s so Trump doesn’t take a wrong turn and end up on the roof again.”

Another X user wrote, “You will be relieved to know POTUS has had a new gold-lettered sign placed outside the Oval Office, as if anyboy would not know that was the Oval Office, becqause, you know, it is. Shutdown now setting a new record. SNAP benefits cut office. But we have a new gold sign.”

Another said: “So smart. Many memory care units also label rooms so that those with dementia can remember where they are.”

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle brushed off the criticism, saying the signage reflects Trump’s broader effort to make the White House beautiful and give it the glory it deserves.

The addition is the latest in Trump’s sweeping Mar-a-Lago-inspired redesign of the presidential residence — from his $300 million ballroom project that replaced part of the East Wing, to the stone-paved Rose Garden that now resembles a Palm Beach patio.

Inside, nearly every surface of the Oval Office has been treated with what Trump proudly calls 24-karat gold accents.

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