Former White Stripes frontman Jack White engaged in a heated public dispute with the Trump administration this week after criticizing President Donald Trump’s gold-decorated Oval Office redesign, sparking a war of words that escalated into accusations of fascism and personal attacks on both sides.
The confrontation began on August 19, 2025, when White posted an Instagram photo showing Trump meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the redesigned Oval Office. White described the space as vulgar and gaudy, comparing it to a professional wrestler’s dressing room and calling it an embarrassment to American history.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded on August 20 with harsh criticism of the musician, telling The Daily Beast that White was a washed-up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media due to his stalled career. Cheung further stated that White had been masquerading as a real artist because he failed to appreciate the splendor and significance of the Oval Office.
White fired back the same day with a lengthy Instagram statement expressing disbelief that his comments about interior decoration prompted an official White House response while more serious criticisms of the administration had gone unanswered. The Detroit-raised artist questioned how petty and thin-skinned the administration could be, calling the official response pathetic.
In his response, White listed numerous grievances against the Trump administration, including what he characterized as fascist manipulation of government, controversial immigration enforcement tactics, racist remarks about various ethnic groups, attacks on disabled individuals, and the January 6 Capitol incident. He also referenced Trump’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein and criticized the president’s foreign policy approach with dictators.
White turned Cheung’s accusation back on Trump, stating that the president was masquerading as a human being, a Christian, a leader, and a person with actual empathy. He characterized Trump as someone who had been masquerading as a businessman for decades while prospering through using other people’s money to find loopholes and engage in various schemes.
The musician declared that being insulted by the White House under Trump’s leadership represented “a badge of honor” to him. He concluded his statement by clarifying that he was not a Democrat but rather a human being raised in Detroit who had owned businesses since age 21 and possessed enough street sense to recognize dishonest operators.
This latest dispute represents the continuation of a longstanding feud between White and Trump. In 2024, White and former bandmate Meg White sued Trump and his campaign for unauthorized use of The White Stripes’ song “Seven Nation Army” in social media videos. The lawsuit was later dropped in November without explanation.
The conflict dates back to Trump’s 2016 campaign when he first used “Seven Nation Army” in an advertisement. At that time, The White Stripes published a Facebook statement expressing disgust with the association and condemning the illegal use of their song. White’s label, Third Man Records, subsequently released merchandise featuring “Icky Trump” shirts that referenced the band’s 2007 album “Icky Thump.”
Trump’s Oval Office renovation, completed in March 2025, features extensive gold trim, large gilded frames, gold eagles, mirrors, and Trump-branded accessories throughout the historic space. The redesign has drawn criticism from interior design professionals who described the extensive use of gold as overwhelming and gaudy.
Several prominent musicians have expressed support for White in the aftermath of the exchange, with comments on his Instagram posts from artists including Margo Price, Cat Power’s Chan Marshall, and comedian Patton Oswalt, who suggested that White had struck a nerve with the administration.
White’s criticism extended beyond decoration to Trump’s broader agenda, referencing the president’s plans to host a UFC match at the White House as part of America’s 250th birthday celebrations. He suggested these plans represented the fulfillment of the dystopian comedy film “Idiocracy.”
The 12-time Grammy Award winner concluded his statement by invoking a quote from President Theodore Roosevelt about the moral obligation to criticize presidential actions when necessary, framing his opposition as a patriotic duty rather than partisan politics.
