"Walmart Liberace"

If you know anything at all about Der Furor, you know that he loves the trappings of wealth and power, especially gold. His Trump Tower penthouse apartment has long been famous for its over-the-top gilding of almost every surface ...

His home at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, is similarly decorated,

Der Furor's belief that acres of gold convey a sense of luxury and power now extends to his redecoration of the historic Oval Office, covering every available surface with gold trimmings, objects, curtains, and carpets. He called in the cabinetmaker who upgilded Mar-a-Lago to add gleaming golden touches throughout the historic mansion, and also wanted to hang a chandelier in the Oval Office, but dropped the idea when he was told it would be too heavy for the ceiling to support. 

Der Furor's Oval Office style has been called "Walmart Liberace."

The Oval Office is the official workplace of the President of the United States, who deserves the right to decorate it in a style that creates a personal comfort zone in which they can make decisions that affect every American and the rest of the world. In that regard, presidents deserve a degree of freedom of expression in their choice of decor.

But the Oval Office is more than just the workplace of the current officeholder - it's a symbol of the United States of America, and it represents all of us. It should present an image of gravitas appropriate to our history. 

We fought a revolutionary war to free ourselves from kings who needed to impress their subjects with displays of wealth and power. Versailles represents in gold and crystal the past glories of French kings. The Kremlin represents in gold the power and dominance of the tsars. Buckingham Palace remembers the golden highlights of the power and majesty of the British empire at its height. And all of those are appropriate to the history of their nations.

The Oval Office should represent the history of a free people ... not a garish whorehouse gleaming with golden bling.

We deserve better than Walmart Liberace.

Have a good day. Demand better, but expect less. 

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo