He announced that the desk would undergo refurbishments just days after the visit of a four-year-old child.
Since returning to office last month, Donald Trump has implemented several significant changes.
As of February 20, the US President had signed 73 executive orders—the highest number in a president’s first 100 days in over 40 years—and there are no signs of him slowing down anytime soon.
More recently, Trump has shifted his focus to interior design, removing a historically significant piece of furniture from the White House.
The 78-year-old revealed that he has decided to remove the Resolute Desk from the Oval Office.
This desk, which was used by his predecessors Barack Obama and Joe Biden, was crafted from the timber of the British exploration ship HMS Resolute. It was gifted to President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria in 1880.
The Resolute Desk has been a fixture in the Oval Office, used by nearly every US leader in history.
Now, Trump has opted to replace it temporarily with the C&O Desk while the Resolute Desk undergoes refurbishments.
In a post on Truth Social, he explained the decision, writing: “A President, after election, gets a choice of 1 in 7 desks,” (though, in reality, the choice is among six desks).
He added: “This desk, the C&O, which is also well-known and was used by President George H.W. Bush and others, has been temporarily installed in the White House while the Resolute Desk is being lightly refinished—a necessary task. This is a beautiful, but temporary replacement!”
The decision to replace the desk comes just days after Elon Musk’s four-year-old son, X, was seen picking his nose and seemingly wiping it on the desk during a Q&A session about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The young boy, whose full name is X Æ A-12, appeared fidgety, restless, and visibly bored while accompanying his father at work.
At one point, the child was seen wiggling his finger in his nostril before apparently wiping it on the iconic Resolute Desk.
After the New York Post shared the news of the desk’s refurbishments alongside a photo of X on Instagram, users quickly flooded the comments section with their reactions.
One person commented, “I noticed the top was looking worn out during all those order signings. It was due for a refresh, with or without the kid’s snot.”
Another user remarked, “I personally don’t like people who bring their kids everywhere. If your child isn’t extremely well-behaved and quiet, why bring them to a work meeting?”
A third user joked, “I would’ve gotten rid of it too.”
The President has yet to disclose the specific reason for the desk’s refurbishments.