Plans from Trump and his allies for expensive real estate projects are at odds with much of the work Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is undertaking.Photographer: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg
As he settles into his second term in office, President Donald Trump has embraced his power to refashion some of Washington’s most iconic places in his own image — renovations that come with costly price tags.
He’s outfitted the Oval Office with elaborate gold fixtures, vermeil figurines and gilded frames, all ubiquitous elements of the decor in his New York tower. He’s mused about ripping up the Rose Garden lawn for a hard-surface patio reminiscent of the hangout spot at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Elsewhere inside the White House, which during his first term he described as a “real dump,” Trump wants to build a $100 million ballroom.
