Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticised the ongoing White House renovations under President Donald Trump, comparing the gold-heavy decoration to the palaces of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Gold detailing has become a prominent feature of the administration’s changes to the White House, appearing on ceilings, plasterwork, door frames and furniture, particularly around the West Wing and Oval Office.
Speaking on the Pivot podcast hosted by Kara Swisher, Clinton described the new decor as “tackied up” and said it reminded her of Saddam Hussein’s palaces.
She also suggested that the design choices reflected what she described as a narcissistic personality and a desire to project importance through extensive gold embellishments.
Clinton, who oversaw renovation work on the White House Blue Room during her time as First Lady, has become a vocal critic of Trump’s ongoing changes to the presidential complex.
She also questioned what future administrations would do with the construction projects currently underway, including the planned White House ballroom, which she jokingly described as a “carbuncle” attached to the building.
Clinton added humorously that she would be willing to help clean up and restore the decor after Trump eventually leaves office.
The White House responded sharply to her comments. Spokesman Davis Ingle referenced Clinton’s defeat to Trump in the 2016 presidential election, saying she never had the opportunity to decorate the Oval Office because she lost the election and had not recovered from the defeat.
The exchange comes as Trump’s administration continues to make significant aesthetic changes to the White House, with gold detailing remaining a defining feature of the renovation.