It's fair to say that Donald Trump's time in office was nothing if not eventful. As well as hitting headlines for his controversial policies and divisive rhetoric, his tenure at the White House saw a number of key changes to the presidential property, while more than a few curious habits came to light too, from the creative 'filing system' that's landed him in hot water with the FBI to the notorious Diet Coke button. Click or scroll through to find out how Donald – and Melania – Trump changed the White House during their term in power.
Donald Trump has reportedly added to his vast wealth recently, making just under $5.8 million (£4.5m) in royalties over the past 18 months from a coffee table book featuring photos of his time in office, a financial disclosure filed in July 2023 revealed. Our Journey Together was published by Winning Team Publishing, a company which Trump founded with a former staffer. According to a Winning Team spokesperson, the book has sold more than 500,000 copies. Although Forbes was only able to track 10,200 sales, it is assumed most of the purchases will have taken place via the book's website. It was originally priced at a hefty $75 (£58), or $230 (£179) for a signed copy, while Trump's joint fundraising and political action committees offered copies in exchange for donations of $75 or more. In 2022, the committees paid Winning Team $231,000 (£180k), as reported by Forbes.
Our Journey Together contains mostly images that are already in the public domain, such as taxpayer-subsidised material taken by White House chief photographer Shealah Craighead (pictured here centre). The former president then added his own captions. We'd call that a pretty easy way to earn $5.8 million (£4.5m) – and he isn't the only one to have done well from Our Journey Together. Winning Team Publishing paid Melania Trump $250,000 (£194k) in fees for promoting the book, according to Forbes. Earlier in 2023, the follow-up book Letters to Trump hit the shelves for the eyewatering price of $99 (£77), with signed copies going for a staggering $399 (£310)!
In another shocking revelation that only came to light two years after Trump left office, it has been claimed that the former President wanted to tap the phones of White House aides suspected of leaking information, the Independent reports. Miles Taylor, who was the Department of Homeland Security’s chief of staff for the Trump administration, alleges in his book Blowback that the 45th president raised the possibility of pursuing those leaking information by "tapping phones". According to Taylor, John Kelly – the White House Chief of Staff at the time – “quickly nixed the suggestion, knowing it would be illegal." While Kelly confirmed the report, Trump aide Steven Cheung denied the claims in a statement to Axios, saying: "Miles Taylor is a loser... His book either belongs in the discount bin of the fiction section or should be repurposed as toilet paper."
According to Kelly, pictured here with Donald Trump in 2017, the former president is also alleged to have discussed ordering the IRS to target people he perceived as 'enemies' while he was in the White House. The retired four-star Marine general said in a sworn statement that Trump "questioned whether investigations by the Internal Revenue Service or other federal agencies should be undertaken" into two FBI officials who were investigating the Trump campaign's ties to Russia. However, Kelly went on to state he did not know of Trump actually ordering an investigation. One of the FBI officials in question, Peter Strzok, has brought a wrongful termination lawsuit against the Justice Department. In early July 2023, a federal judge ruled that Donald Trump can be deposed as part of the filing.
While Trump's handling of sensitive government documents has come under scrutiny, according to reports by The Washington Post, the former president had an unfortunate habit of ripping up White House records while in office, too. Classified documents and memos were often found shredded in 'burn bags' destined for incineration, in violation of the Presidential Records Act, which states that all paperwork touched by the president must be preserved and sent to the National Archives for safekeeping.
Incredibly, government officials working for the Trump administration then had to sift through the shredded bags of paper, which some described as the former president's unofficial "filing system", and piece them back together with Scotch tape. Solomon Lartey, a records management analyst under Trump, told Politico it was like solving a 'jigsaw puzzle'. Aides were reportedly unable to dissuade the then-president from destroying records, so Lartey and his colleagues had no choice but to reassemble the documents to ensure no laws were broken.
Reportedly, the 45th president's disregard for record-keeping didn't stop there. In August 2022, journalist Maggie Haberman shared damning photos with Axios ahead of the release of her book, Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America. The images show torn pieces of paper covered in what's alleged to be Trump's handwriting in his preferred pen, a Sharpie, submerged at the bottom of two toilet bowls.
As well as allegedly destroying official records, there's now mounting evidence that classified White House documents didn't necessarily stay in the White House when Trump left office. The former president is set to go on trial in May 2024 for the alleged mishandling of classified documents found in August 2022, when the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago. Among the boxes seized were reportedly top-secret papers detailing a foreign government's nuclear capabilities, which prosecutors claim were kept illegally at the Florida estate. As per his June indictment, Donald Trump stands accused of 37 charges relating to the case, including 31 counts of willful retention of national defence information under the Espionage Act.
In June 2023, footage resurfaced of rapper Kid Rock claiming Donald Trump showed him "secret maps" during a visit to the White House in 2017, the Independent reported. In the 2022 Fox News interview, the Republican rocker alleged that the then-president asked him for advice on how to handle North Korea. “We’re looking at maps and s***, and I’m like, ‘Am I supposed to be in on this s***?’” Rock told presenter Tucker Carlson. "'What do you think we should do about North Korea?’ I’m like, ‘What? I don’t think I’m qualified to answer this.’”
When President Donald Trump assumed office in January 2017, he splashed out a staggering $3.4 million (£2.6m) “to bring back the luster and glory of the White House”, which he described as “a real dump” back in August 2017. Classic oil paintings of Trump's political heroes such as Andrew Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt replaced Obama's collection of modern art, while military touches and plenty of American flags were brought in.
While the 45th US president preferred to spend his leisure time in office at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida or his New Jersey golf club, he didn't waste any time overhauling the Oval Office. One of the first changes the new president made was swapping out the 'stained' wallpaper, settling on a grey damask print instead.
Like his personal property collection, gold was a prevalent theme in Donald Trump's White House refresh. Gold curtains used by Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush were brought back in, the existing mid-century modern furniture was swapped for gold-hued sofas from Bush Jr's tenure, and Trump even reinstated the golden rug designed by First Lady Nancy Reagan.
The Roosevelt Room, a meeting room in the West Wing of the White House, got the Trump treatment, too. The former leader of the free world embellished the grand room with two imposing gilded eagle statues, sourced from a Maryland antique shop.
Other parts of the West Wing were also overhauled by the Trumps. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the former president's sizeable hospitality portfolio, the lobby was given a corporate business hotel feel. From the neutral walls to the grey patterned carpet, the space wouldn't look out of place in one of the former president's hotels.
Trump's love of gold was especially apparent when he hosted the first state dinner of his presidency in April 2017, a lavish affair in honour of President Emmanuel Macron of France. The gold and cream colour scheme was selected by then-First Lady Melania Trump, who opted for glitzy gold candelabras on each table and matching gold table settings.
While President Eisenhower added an outdoor putting green to the White House, Trump went even further during his tenure, installing a top-of-the-range golf simulator at a rumoured cost of $50,000 (£39k), according to The Washington Post. Made by Danish company TrackMan Golf, the swish setup allowed the former president to virtually tee off without leaving his offices. Incoming president Joe Biden was said to be less than impressed by the new addition.
From replacing the faded wallpaper in the Red Room to freshening up the drapes in the Green Room, Melania worked with the White House curatorial team on a number of restoration projects. “In 2018, we completed the first full renovation of the Queen’s Bathroom since the 1950s,” she said. "Our goal of updating and restoring 'The President’s Elevator', which is used by the First Family, visiting dignitaries and White House staff, was accomplished in the same year." She also replaced the rug in the Diplomatic Room, adding a border of 50 flowers to represent each state.
A new 60th-anniversary edition of The White House: An Historic Guide was published on July 28 2022, filled with up-to-date photographs of the interior spaces. The photos were taken towards the end of 2021, during the Biden administration, but show the redesign work undertaken by Melania within the lesser-seen private quarters. Here is the Center Hall, which runs the length of the second floor from east to west. It serves as the main connecting room to the Lincoln Bedroom, the Yellow Oval Room and the Treaty Room, among others, and also serves as a drawing room for presidential guests.
Refurbished by Melania and her team, the Queen's Bedroom is pictured here, complete with new fabrics and a floral-bordered carpet. Melania worked with interior designer Tham Kannalikham to overhaul a number of spaces. However, neither party are said to be impressed with how their work has been represented in the new book, saying that many details had been overlooked and rooms rearranged.
The Yellow Oval Room was also revamped in similar pastel tones, while lighter soft furnishings were brought in. The former first lady's office told the Daily Mail: "Preserving the history of the People's House for future generations was something that Mrs Trump was very passionate about and took very seriously. She and her design team worked tirelessly to beautify the White House, but only a small amount of their creative execution adorns the pages of this book. In fact, her deliberate styling of the furniture and accessories was significantly rearranged throughout the book's images."
Melania Trump also restored the White House's basement bowling alley, which was installed by the Nixon administration and drastically modernised in 1994 by Clinton. The Bowling Proprietors' Association of America funded the project, which involved reinstating the original wooden lanes, updating the electrical wiring and some machinery and refreshing the interior design. Pictured here, the finished look features dark wood, plush blue velvet sofas, retro fringing and muted lighting.
However, not all of Melania Trump's decorative decisions went down well during her time at the White House. In 2018, the former first lady caused controversy when she unveiled that year's Christmas decorations, which included an unusual display of 40 red trees lining the East Colonnade. Some social media users likened the bold foliage to 'blood' or 'murder trees'. The former first lady hit back, however, telling reporters: "We are in the 21st century and everybody has a different taste. I think they look fantastic."
The same year, however, Melania appeared frustrated by the task of orchestrating the White House's elaborate festive schemes. She was reportedly caught on tape remarking: "Who gives a f**** about Christmas stuff and decoration?" By 2020, the former first lady's Christmas displays had become increasingly less dramatic, with more muted, traditional themes.
Beyond decorating and cosmetic redesigns, Melania also got stuck into a number of large-scale structural renovations across the presidential property. "In 2019 we embarked on a several months-long restoration of the East Room floor, which brought to life the true magnificence of this historic space. This was done in tandem with work performed on the marble floors of the State Entrance and Hallway," she explained.
Towards the end of Melania's tenure as first lady, a number of large changes were unveiled across the White House grounds. Completed in 2020, the tennis pavilion was a particular passion project for Mrs Trump, who funded the build with private donations. "History continues to unfold at the @WhiteHouse & I am pleased to announce the completion of the tennis pavilion. Preserving this historic landmark is vital & I want to thank all who helped complete this project," she tweeted.
In the tradition of many first ladies before her, Melania also made changes to the White House's beloved Rose Garden. The red and yellow blooms were replaced with icy white flowers, in a move that was criticised by some traditionalists. She tweeted in August 2020: "Excited to honor history & celebrate the future in our beautiful @WhiteHouse Rose Garden this evening. Thank you to all who helped renew this iconic & truly gorgeous space."
Michael Beschloss, NBC’s presidential historian, took to Twitter on 7 August 2021 to bemoan Melania’s changes to the iconic garden. He tweeted: “Evisceration of White House Rose Garden was completed a year ago this month, and here was the grim result – decades of American history made to disappear”. Taking to Twitter to share a picture of the garden in bloom, alongside a fiery rebuttal, the former First Lady tweeted: “@BeschlossDC has proven his ignorance by showing a picture of the Rose Garden in its infancy. The Rose Garden is graced with a healthy & colorful blossoming of roses. His misleading information is dishonorable”.
Perhaps one of the boldest additions Melania made to the Rose Garden was installing Isamu Noguchi's Floor Frame sculpture, unveiled in November 2020. Bought by the White House Historical Association for $125,000 (£97k) at a Sotheby's auction, it was gifted to become part of the residence's expansive art collection and sits on the East Terrace. She tweeted: "The art piece is humble in scale, complements the authority of the Oval Office, & represents the important contributions of Asian American artists.”
While Melania wasted no time in leaving her mark across the White House, Trump spent most of his time in just a few of the historic building's rooms. New York Magazine published an extract from Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency, Michael Wolff’s third book on the Trump administration, which revealed that Trump never climbed the stairs to the second floor. It’s a view that was also expressed as early as 2017, when The Washington Post predicted that Trump was unlikely to ever go up to that part of the executive mansion.
In January 2017, Trump was seen holding hands with former UK Prime Minster, Theresa May in the White House. The Independent reported that May stated on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, that she "takes the president’s hand to help him up and down slopes and stairs". However, Downing Street did not discuss the president’s alleged fear of stairs, known as bathmophobia, instead dubbing the hand-holding "a chivalrous gesture".
Wolff's book also claimed that some Trump staff would take refuge on the second floor knowing that he was very unlikely to call on them. In fact, when he was at the White House, he rarely left the Oval Office during his presidency, holding court for a stream of people coming through the doors. TIME Magazine reported that: "For Trump, the room functions as something like a royal court or meeting hall, with open doors that senior aides and distinguished visitors flock through when he is in the building."
The TIME article from May 2017 goes on to paint a picture of Donald Trump shrinking the space he regularly used in the 132-room mansion down to a few preferred sanctuaries. These select spaces included his private dining room and the Blue Room, which he would use to schmooze visiting dignitaries and, of course, members of the press.
According to another of Michael Wolff's books, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, Trump was extremely particular about White House staff touching his belongings, especially his toothbrush. In fact, rather surprisingly, Donald Trump would even strip his own sheets from the bed in the presidential bedroom, before instructing the housekeepers to wash his bedding.
Donald and Melania sleeping arrangements in the White House are thought to have been somewhat unusual, too. According to Michael Wolff, the former president and first lady occupied separate bedrooms, for the first time since the tenure of John F. Kennedy. Pictured here is Jacqueline Kennedy's former bedroom.
Melania Trump is said to have started her day at the presidential property with a workout at 5:30 am. She'd then make their youngest son Barron's breakfast before getting him ready for school. In the past, Melania has referred to herself as a hands-on mother: "I am a full-time mom; that is my first job. The most important job ever."
The former president reportedly sleeps no more than four hours a night and, according to Trump biographer Gwenda Blair, he regards people who sleep as "lazy". Donald would get up not long after his wife, evidenced by his early morning Twitter posts to his 88.9 million followers – before he was banned from the platform on the last day of his term in January 2021. While Elon Musk lifted the ban when he bought Twitter, now rebranded as X by the controversial tech billionaire, Trump hasn't posted since the ban and instead uses his own platform Truth Social to air his views.
A disciple of network news, Trump would purportedly spend up to seven hours watching TV in the morning and catching up on the day's headlines. He'd sometimes only arrive at the Oval Office at noon for his daily intelligence briefing. When he was quizzed about who he turns to for advice on matters of national security, he said: “Well, I watch the shows."
A man accustomed to living in his own luxury hotels, it's no surprise that Trump brought in staff from his hospitality businesses. According to The New Yorker, the former president recruited the rooms manager from The Trump International Hotel in Washington, Timothy Harleth, to ensure the White House was ship-shape and in keeping with his high standards.
While he may have had Washington, DC's culinary stars at his fingertips, news of Trump's somewhat unconventional go-to meal caused quite the furore. That's because the former president's favourite dinner is said to be well-done steak, served with a side of ketchup. In fact, he even ordered the controversial dish on his first dinner out in the city as president, at a rumoured cost of $54 (£48).
Another culinary favourite of Trump's is the humble quarter pounder with cheese. According to sources, the White House kitchen staff just weren't up to the task of replicating the former president's fast food hero. On more than one occasion, Trump's aide and head of Oval Office operations Keith Schiller ventured out to McDonald's to satiate the then-leader of the free world's cravings.
Such is Donald Trump's love of junk food, he even put on an elaborate feast sourced from various fast food outlets in the White House dining room. The unusual banquet was in honour of the Clemson Tigers football team, who were visiting the presidential mansion to celebrate their victory in 2019's NCAA national college football championships.
In contrast, while her husband was hankering for fast food fixes, the former first lady was said to be especially fond of a light daily workout. According to E! News, Melania believes in working out smarter, rather than harder, embracing fitness tricks such as wearing ankle weights as she goes about her daily routine. We can just imagine her traversing the labyrinthine corridors of the White House!
When Biden moved into the White House in January 2022, he found that his predecessor had declined to carry out a crucial security update to the property. The substantial upgrades involved excavations of the South Lawn, heavy machinery and large teams of workers. The plans for the multimillion-dollar project were put to Trump when he was in office. However, the former president and first lady reportedly objected to the noise and aesthetic upset, leaving it for the next POTUS to pick up.
In a more civil gesture, Trump invited 11-year-old Frank Giaccio to the White House, after the boy sent a letter to the then-president asking if he could mow the Rose Garden's lawn. While Frank originally intended to charge the president his going rate of $8 (£7), his father convinced him to do it for free. After his landscaping duties were complete, Trump invited Frank and his father into the Oval Office and the press briefing room.
There was said to be no love lost between the incoming and outcoming administrations, and Maggie Haberman's book details the alleged ways that Trump staff tried to sabotage Joe Biden's transition team. Trump's White House chief of staff reportedly refused to grant the new administration access to the computer system for the president's budget, Pentagon updates were delayed, and the incoming staff, classed as essential workers, struggled to obtain Covid-19 vaccinations when they were first rolled out. Trump officially departed the White House on 20 January 2021, though his memorable time in office won't be forgotten any time soon.
The administrative transition when Joe Biden was elected the 46th president was never going to be uneventful. Rather than welcoming in their successors, some Trump staff are said to have made a point of being particularly petty. According to Maggie Haberman's book Confidence Man, one employee went so far as to stuff multiple photos of Hunter Biden, the incoming president's son, into an air conditioning unit, a bizarre act that resulted in the unit breaking.
Loved this? Follow us on Facebook for more secrets of the world's most famous buildings