Golden Toilet Installation on National Mall Satirizes Trump White House Renovation
A golden toilet sculpture mounted on a marble throne appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The piece echoes styling associated with President Trump and protests the ongoing White House renovation.
The installation
The marble-and-gold structure carried a plaque mocking a “throne fit for a king.” It suggested the president prioritized redecorating the Lincoln bedroom bathroom amid larger crises.
A roll of toilet paper on the sculpture read “The Secret Handshake.” The name links the work to a group behind similar public stunts.
Renovation and related projects
The president has applied extensive gilding to the Oval Office and is remodelling a bathroom off the Lincoln bedroom. The Kennedy Center will close for a two-year remodel after its board voted to add the president’s name to the venue.
The East Wing was demolished to make way for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. Reports place the project cost at roughly $400 million, funded by the president and private donors.
Construction work on the ballroom was ongoing as of Dec. 9, 2025. The president told reporters the project is ahead of schedule and said a “massive” military complex would be built underneath.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle characterized the effort as improving the White House and the nation’s capital. The administration said the work fulfills promises made to the American people.
History beneath the East Wing
Lower levels of the East Wing historically housed the Presidential Emergency Operations Center. That space has been used for secret trip planning and evacuations, including for former Vice-President Dick Cheney on Sept. 11, 2001.
Senior officials also sought shelter in those lower levels during protests near the White House in May 2020. The facility has long served multiple security functions.
Pattern of mock monuments
Fake monuments satirizing Mr. Trump and his allies have appeared regularly since his second term began. The golden toilet continues that pattern of public satire and commentary.
Earlier this month, a Titanic-themed statue depicted the president and Jeffrey Epstein in an embrace on the National Mall. Similar works surfaced in September and October 2025.
- Sept. 23, 2025: A bronze sculpture titled “Best Friends Forever” showed the president with Jeffrey Epstein. It was removed the following day and reappeared weeks later.
- Jan. 20: A giant reproduction of an alleged suggestive birthday note was displayed on the Mall. The Secret Handshake group said it showed a note the president allegedly wrote to Epstein on his 50th birthday.
The Secret Handshake claimed responsibility for the throne installation and other recent Mall displays. Filmogaz.com will monitor any official response and possible removal of the artwork.
