Throughout his time in the public eye, President Donald Trump has often been photographed behind his desk at Trump Tower alongside a mountain of papers, photographs and other trinkets he proudly displayed.
Now, he’s bragging about his cluttered desk in the Oval Office.
“Look at my desk. Papers. You don’t see presidents with that on their desk,” Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity during an interview that aired Thursday.
Less than a week into his presidency, Trump’s desk appears to already be the sight of disorder. However, when he signed his first executive orders, it appeared clean, meaning he has quickly gotten to work.
Trump’s desk in the presidential plane, Air Force One, appeared strikingly tidy Thursday when he was photographed during his trip from Washington to Philadelphia for the Republican congressional retreat. But it was just his first time on board, so he may not have had the opportunity to properly clutter the desk.
The sight of the desk during Trump’s meeting Friday with British Prime Minister Theresa May was yet again the sight of cleanliness.
Historically, the desk of the President has been clean, lacking clutter. Sometimes neatly stacked files or paperweights can be seen, but all orderly and neat as opposed to Trump’s discombobulated set up of folders jutting out or piled several inches high.
The same desk, known as the Resolute Desk, has typically appeared mess-free when used by former presidents, including George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.
According to the White House Museum, every president since Rutherford B. Hayes — except Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford — has used the Resolute desk. However, some chose to use it in their private study in the private residence as opposed to the Oval Office, where Trump uses it.
The desk became especially notable after a photograph was released in Life magazine of President John F. Kennedy working while his son, John Jr., peeked out the front through the kneehole panel. It became an iconic image of the Kennedy’s life in the White House. The kneehole panel was installed after Franklin D. Roosevelt requested it to hide his knee braces.