As millions of families across the United States face the potential loss of access to food assistance over the weekend, President Donald Trump drew attention to a different matter on Friday. The president shared images of a recently renovated White House bathroom on his Truth Social platform, claiming it had been updated with “highly polished, statuary marble.”
Trump explained that he had chosen to renovate the space because he was dissatisfied with the previous “art deco green tile style,” which he described as “totally inappropriate for the Lincoln Era.” He emphasized that the new design, featuring black and white polished statuary marble, was more in line with the time of Abraham Lincoln.
“This was very appropriate for the time of Abraham Lincoln and, in fact, could be the marble that was originally there!” he stated.
The move quickly drew sharp criticism from political opponents and media observers. Many highlighted the timing of the announcement, as it coincided with ongoing challenges faced by American families due to policies enacted by the president and the Republican Party. These include tariffs that have increased the cost of food and clothing, the expiration of subsidies for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchanges, and cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Independent journalist Aaron Rupar commented on Bluesky, saying: “Sure, you might not be able to eat or go to the doctor, but check out how nice Trump’s new marble shitter is.”
Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh, who has become a vocal critic of Trump, condemned the president’s focus on the renovation during a federal government shutdown. He wrote on X: “Government still shutdown, Americans not getting paid, food assistance for low-income families and children about to be cut off, and this is what he cares about. He’s a psychopath, humanly incapable of caring about anyone or anything but himself.”
Political scientist Don Moynihan of the University of Michigan expressed skepticism about the historical accuracy of Trump’s claims. “Fact check based on no research but with a high degree of confidence: This is not the marble that was originally in the Lincoln Bedroom,” he wrote. “It is more likely to be retrieved from a Trump casino before it was demolished.”
Fashion critic Derek Guy, meanwhile, avoided political commentary, instead focusing on the aesthetic choices. He noted that “White House renovations are currently being spearheaded by someone with famously bad interior design taste.”
Earlier this month, Trump faced backlash for ordering the demolition of the entire East Wing of the White House to make way for a large ballroom. The project was funded by donations from some of America’s wealthiest corporations, including Apple, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Meta, Google, Amazon, and Palantir—many of which have government contracts and interests in deregulation.
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