Jack White Rips Trump's 'Gaudy' And 'Vulgar' Gold-Plated Oval Office
Another day, another petty spat between the White House and a big star.
This time, musician Jack White has reentered the ring to take some swipes at Donald Trump’s “gaudy” Oval Office makeover, calling out the president for his “vulgar” display of gold-plated statues and tacky trim across what used to be a more modestly styled presidential retreat.
“Look at his disgusting taste, would you even buy a used car from this conman, let alone give him the nuclear codes?” White wrote via Instagram on Tuesday.
“A gold plated trump bible would look perfect up on that mantle with a pair of trump shoes on either side wouldn't it? What an embarrassment to American history,” White said.
And while the man behind “Icky Thump” isn’t the only one who has called out the crude interior design choices going on at the White House, White’s post was apparently enough to reignite a feud between the rock star and the Trump administration.
“Jack White is a washed up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media because he clearly has ample time on his hands due to his stalled career,” White House communications director Steven Cheung told the Daily Beast.
“It’s apparent he’s been masquerading as a real artist, because he fails to appreciate, and quite frankly disrespects, the splendor and significance of the Oval Office inside of ‘The People’s House.’”
That prompted White to clap back again on Wednesday, calling out Cheung—and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt—for being “professional liar toadies” who have been “covering up and masking fascism as patriotism and fomenting hatred and division in this country on a daily basis.”
The renowned musician made an interesting observation.
“… how funny that it wasn’t me calling out Trump’s blatant fascist manipulation of government, his Gestapo ICE tactics, his racist remarks about Latinos, Native Americans …” White wrote, and continued with a litany of the president’s lawless actions and abusive policies.
“No, it wasn’t me calling out any of that, it was the fucking DECOR OF THE OVAL OFFICE remarks I made that got them to respond with insults. How petty and thin skinned could this administration get?”
Of course, Cheung’s decision to call White “washed up” has a particular irony to it, given Trump’s past legal run-in with the musician.
In 2024, White filed a lawsuit against Trump for using his song “Seven Nation Army” in a campaign video. The lawsuit was ultimately dropped, but the president has received many cease and desist orders from musicians who want nothing to do with him or his policies.
Artists like Beyoncé and Eddy Grant have also demanded that the convicted felon stay away from their music, while Panic! At the Disco’s Brendan Urie very specifically sent the Trump campaign a nice “Fuck you” while adding, “stop playing my song.”
Despite all this pushback, Trump and his minions seem to relish in picking fights by trying to poke at A-listers’ talent when they don’t align with the MAGA way.
Naturally, Taylor Swift is “no longer HOT” because of her open support of Democratst—despite her record-breaking world tour and legendary loyal following.
Even Bruce Springsteen, whose songs Trump has used numerous times during his rallies, was dismissed as “highly overrated” after the artist called out the president for being corrupt.
Then again, this is the wannabe autocrat who took over the Kennedy Center Honors to nominate his own roster of MAGA-supportive artists—as opposed to “woke” artists—for the annual awards.
Buck up, Donnie; at least you’ll always have the musical stylings of Kid Rock.
Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.
