Clinton blasts Trump's White House changes as 'reminiscent' of Saddam Hussein's palaces

• Hillary Clinton called Donald Trump’s gold-heavy White House décor “reminiscent” of Saddam Hussein’s palaces, criticizing what she described as his excessive renovations.
• Clinton also questioned what the next president would do with Trump’s planned ballroom if the project remains unfinished.

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s changes to the White House, comparing his gold-heavy décor to the palaces of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

In an interview posted Friday with podcast host Kara Swisher, Clinton said the decorations were “tackied up” and reflected what she described as Trump’s narcissistic personality.

“It’s sad to me, it’s sad that it’s so tackied up,” Clinton said on Swisher’s “Pivot” podcast, adding that Trump appeared focused on adding more gold rather than resolving major foreign policy challenges.

Clinton also criticized Trump’s plans to build a ballroom at the White House, saying the next president could face a difficult decision if the project is left incomplete.

“The next president is going to have a big decision. What do you do with a half-finished ballroom?” Clinton said, describing the planned structure as a “carbuncle on the side of the White House.”

When asked what she would do with it, Clinton replied, “I don’t know.”

As first lady, Clinton oversaw renovations to the White House Blue Room. She later became a vocal critic of Trump’s broader renovation plans, writing on social media that the White House belongs to the public rather than to the president personally.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle responded to Clinton’s remarks by pointing to the 2016 presidential election, when Clinton lost to Trump.

“Hillary Clinton never had the opportunity to decorate the Oval Office as president because she suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of President Trump, which she has never recovered from,” Ingle said.

Since returning to the White House in 2025, Trump has added gold detailing to the Oval Office and other areas of the West Wing as part of his effort to reshape the building.

He also unveiled a “Presidential Walk of Fame” along the White House Rose Garden colonnade last year, featuring plaques criticizing several of his predecessors.

Trump has also backed several major renovation and construction projects in Washington, including work involving the National Mall’s reflecting pool and plans for a 250-foot triumphal arch across the Potomac River.

Clinton joked that she would be willing to serve as “Secretary of Taking Down the Gold” after Trump leaves office.

“Wouldn’t that be a good idea? Secretary of cleaning it up, fixing up,” she said.