Jack White-Trump Feud Erupts Over Gold Oval Office
Donald Trump recently remodeled the Oval Office, covering everything in those gold medallion-thingys, little gold cherub babies, basically gold everything, and people are not happy about it.
Jack, a 12-time Grammy award-winning musician, is one of those people. He can't stand Trump's "vulgar" transformation of the Oval Office.
"Look at how disgusting trump has transformed the historic White House. It's now a vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy, professional wrestler's dressing room," Jack wrote in an Aug. 19 Instagram post. "Can't wait for the UFC match on the front lawn too, he's almost fully achieved the movie 'Idiocracy.'"
The guitarist, who released six studio albums as a solo artist after The White Stripes disbanded, pointed out the president's "disgusting taste," suggesting he's a "conman" who shouldn't be trusted with nuclear codes.
"Also pictured in this photograph, a REAL leader of a nation in a black suit," he finished, referencing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sitting beside Trump.
The White House caught wind of Jack's viral insult and responded. Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, reportedly told The Daily Beast that Jack is "a washed up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media because he clearly has ample time on his hands due to his stalled career."
Defending the president's "guady" gold room, Steven apparently said, "It's apparent he's been masquerading as a real artist, because he fails to appreciate, and quite frankly disrespects, the splendor and significance of the Oval Office inside of 'The People's House.'"'
Jack, set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year with Meg White (the other half of the White Stripes), had a lengthy response to the White House's rather brutal rebuttal in an Aug. 20 Instagram post.
"Funny that it wasn't me calling out trump's blatant facist manipulation of government, his gestapo ICE tactics, his ractist remarks about Latinos, Native Americans, etc.," he wrote before listing a laundry list of allegations against Trump and his administration including "ignorance of dying children in Sudan, Gaza, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and "constant lying to the American people."
"No, it wasn't me calling out any of that, it was the fucking DECOR OF THE OVAL OFFICE remarks I made that got them to respond with insults. How petty and pathetic and thin-skinned could this administration get?" Jack said.
In response to the claim Jack is "masquerading as a real artist" he said, "trump is masquerading as a human being."
"He's masquerading as a christian, as a leader, as a person with actual empathy. He's been masquerading as a businessman for decades as nothing he's involved in has propsered except by using other people's money to find a loophole after loophole and grift after grift," Jack continued before criticizing Trump's supporters.
In the caption of the Instagram post alongside several jarring photos of recent Trump-related news, Jack wrote, "I was raised to believe that we defeated fascism in World War II and that we would never allow it again in the world."
Jack's response received praise from some celebrities. Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt wrote, "You hit a fuckin' nerve 'cuz they don't put out statements this length for earthquakes and shootings. Keep going."
Actor Beverly D'Angelo wrote, "Thank you Jack. As you always have done, you've given a voice to those who for whatever reason ( including current culturally endemic oppression ) really need it. I needed this. I'm with you. PREACH"
Actor Adam Goldberg told Jack to "Keep it up!! 👍 👏"
Jack's been a longtime critic of Trump and his administration. Meg and Jack had filed a lawsuit against Trump's 2024 re-election campaign for the use of their hit song "Seven Nation Army." While the lawsuit was dropped, Jack's been rather vocal about his dislike of Trump on social media.
Following Trump's 2024 victory over vice president Kamala Harris, Jack was part of several celebrities, including Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, and Cardi B, who spoke out against the Republican victory. Jack wrote in a Nov. 6, 2024, Instagram post, "Trump won the popular vote. End of story. Americans chose a known, obvious fascist and now America will get whatever this wannabe dictator wants to enact from here on in. We all know what he is capable of: Project 2025, deportations, nationwide abortion ban, ending his own 2 term limit, backing Putin and his war, shutting down the Board of Education, adding to climate change, limiting LGBTQ rights, controlling the DOJ, keeping the minimum wage down, etc. etc. etc.."
Jack went on to criticize the "rich pricks riding in their Cybertrucks listening to their Rogan and Bannon and Alex jones podcasts laughing all the way to the bank looking foraward to their tax cuts that don't apply to the middle class."
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