Donald Trump has added a new feature to his Cabinet meetings—brighter lighting to improve how he will look on television.
The TV showman president ordered upgraded ceiling lights in the Cabinet room after seeing footage from one of his meetings and disliking it, a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Politico.
Trump Cabinet gatherings are often long-winded affairs where members lavish praise on Trump in public, rather than fulfilling its traditional role of tackling policy issues.
Trump’s penchant for gold bling is also on display in the new Cabinet room decoration.
On Tuesday last week, Trump’s lackeys lined up to credit him with everything from saving whales to reviving Christianity. Zhai Xiang, a scholar on China-U.S. relations, reviewed the Cabinet’s performance, “Coming soon to Broadway, “Dear Leader: The Musical.”
The Politico source didn’t say which meeting rankled the president, but poor lighting at a gathering back in March caught the attention of social media users. “Interesting lighting for this cabinet meeting. Trump’s hair looks like it’s glowing in the dark,” journalist Aaron Rupar posted on X on March 24.
Also at the event was former DOGE chief Elon Musk, who donned a MAGA hat emblazoned with the phrase, “Trump was right about everything.”
Trump’s obsession with optics dates back to his years hosting The Apprentice in a manufactured Manhattan boardroom inside Trump Tower. His own apartment in the Fifth Avenue building is absolutely dripping with gold.
That look has since spilled into the White House. The Oval Office has steadily filled with gilded ornamentation, and the Cabinet Room now features 24-carat gold details framing mirrors and portraits.
The lighting upgrade is part of a broader renovation spree. Two massive flagpoles now rise from the North and South Lawns. A paved patio has replaced part of the Rose Garden.
Construction is expected this fall on a $200 million ballroom that will dramatically expand the East Wing. Trump wants it finished by 2028, in time for the last year of his term.
“He seems to wake up and say what else needs to be improved. Every day it is something new,” said one person familiar with the president’s plans. Trump has also floated ideas outside the White House, including rebranding a golf course in the middle of the Potomac River in D.C. This week, he pledged Washington would be “beautified in 12 months.”
“President Trump is a builder at heart and has brought this talent to our nation’s capital,” said White House spokesman Davis Ingle. “He is restoring American greatness to everything he touches—from the White House to our federal buildings and D.C. parks—and is fulfilling his promise to usher in a new golden age of America.”
Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, told Politico that there have always been updates and changes to the White House, but “this is probably the first time when there are so many at once.”
The White House official said Trump’s goals go beyond showmanship. “He is actually thinking about his legacy. He wants to leave a lasting impact and leave things better off than they were.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast.
