A new gold cursive sign identifying the Oval Office has been installed at the White House, drawing widespread mockery and anger online. The sign, affixed beside the office door, comes as the US government shutdown threatens the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), with only half of the usual benefits being distributed this month.
Pennsylvania congressman Malcolm Kenyatta criticised the sign, writing: 'A: This sign looks like shit. B: 43 million Americans don’t have access to SNAP and are weeks away from health care costs exploding even more.' Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware added: 'I wish they would focus on helping struggling Americans, but this isn’t a good sign.'
The new signage is the latest in a series of lavish renovations by President Donald Trump, including the demolition of the East Wing to build a $300m ballroom during what is now the longest government shutdown in US history. A Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos poll found that more than half of Americans disapproved of the effort.
Florida congressman Jared Moskowitz joked: 'Good, new signage means he won’t knock it down.' Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office posted a doctored photo of the sign reading 'Live, laugh, LOSE' instead of 'the Oval Office', following the passage of Proposition 50, which Newsom argued was crucial to push back against Trump’s agenda.
