Why Donald Trump removed 145-year-old Resolute Desk from his office

US President Donald Trump has demanded the removal of the historic Resolute Desk from the Oval Office at the White House.

For 145 years, the Resolute Desk has been linked to US presidents, having first been placed in the Oval Office during John F Kennedy’s tenure.

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Trump has opted for a “beautiful,” yet “temporary,” alternative.

The C&O desk will take the place of the historic **Resolute Desk** .

What led Trump to replace the famous Resolute Desk? How did it come to the White House, and what is its history?

We will answer these questions:

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Why Trump ordered removal of Resolute Desk

“This is a beautiful, but temporary replacement!,” Trump stated in a Truth Social post.

“A President, after election, gets a choice of one out of seven desks. This desk, the ‘C&O,’ which is also very well known and was used by President George H.W. Bush and others, has been temporarily installed in the White House while the Resolute Desk is being lightly refinished - a very important job.”

The decision comes just days after **Elon Musk** brought his son, X Æ A-Xii, known as X, to the Oval Office.

The **four-year-old** was seen picking his nose and rubbing the desk during a live broadcast last week. Notably, Trump is known to be a germaphobe.

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This is so HILARIOUS from a dad perspective! @elonmusk is talking while his son digs the heck out of his nose next to President @realDonaldTrump in the oval office!

Then eats is and shushes someone off camera lol My son would do the same when I took him places! pic.twitter.com/MCp528u8FM

— Beau Brown (@BeauBrownHBG) February 12, 2025

Could the incident with Musk’s son have led to the removal of the desk? It remains unclear whether the change was caused by the nose-picking episode.

Trump has previously referred to handshaking as a “barbaric” custom and reiterated his concerns during a 2017 press conference, stating, “I’m also very much of a germaphobe, by the way, believe me.”

Elon Musk’s son attended a press briefing on a new executive order related to the billionaire’s position as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Introducing him, Trump said, “This is X, and he’s a great guy—a high IQ individual.”

Videos of X mimicking his father and picking his nose quickly gained attention online.

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What is the Resolute Desk?

The Resolute Desk is a double-pedestal partner’s desk crafted from the oak timbers of the British ship HMS Resolute. In 1880, Queen Victoria presented it as a gift to President **Rutherford B. Hayes** , according to The White House Historical Association.

Nearly every US president has used the desk, with the exceptions of Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald R. Ford.

Before the West Wing was built in 1902, the desk was mainly used on the Second Floor of the White House, where presidential offices were located.

In 1945, the desk was fitted with the Presidential Coat of Arms, the official seal of the US president.

Following the White House renovations led by Harry S. Truman from 1948 to 1952, the desk was moved to the Broadcast Room on the Ground Floor. President Dwight D. Eisenhower briefly used it there for radio and television broadcasts.

The desk gained recognition during **John F. Kennedy’s** presidency, after First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy recognised its historical importance and had it placed in the Oval Office.

Iconic photographs of President Kennedy sitting at the desk, while his young son John peeked out from a door panel beneath it, captured the public’s attention.

When Lyndon B. Johnson chose a different desk for the Oval Office, the Resolute Desk was included in a travelling exhibition before being displayed at the Smithsonian from 1966 to 1977.

In January 1977, President **Jimmy Carter** requested its return to the Oval Office.

Since then, every president has used it there, except George H.W. Bush, who replaced it after five months. It was reinstated during **Bill Clinton’s** tenure and has remained in place ever since.

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Who made the desk? How was it constructed?

As per The White House Historical Association, the Resolute Desk was crafted by William Evenden at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, England.

The desk was built using white oak and mahogany timbers sourced from HMS Resolute and was gifted to President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria in 1880.

HMS Resolute had been part of a British Arctic expedition in 1852, launched to search for John Franklin, who had vanished while attempting to navigate the Northwest Passage. The ship was eventually abandoned after becoming trapped in ice.

In 1855, the American whaling ship George Henry recovered the Resolute, and the US Congress allocated funds to restore it before returning it to England as a gesture of goodwill to Queen Victoria.

To reaffirm this friendship, the Queen had the desk constructed after the Resolute was decommissioned.

What is C&O Desk that Trump has replaced Resolute Desk with?

The Georgian-style C&O Desk is crafted from walnut and is distinguished by its golden handles.

The desk’s name comes from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, as it was originally made for one of the railway’s owners before being donated to the White House, according to Realtor.com.

George HW Bush was the first and only president to use the C&O Desk - until Trump.

With inputs from agencies