Trump replaces historic desk after Musk’s son nose picking incident

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has made yet another change in the White House, this time replacing the historic Resolute Desk in the Oval Office after Elon Musk’s four-year-old son was seen picking his nose and allegedly wiping his fingers on it during a live event.

The 47th U.S. president announced that the 145-year-old desk was temporarily removed for restoration. However, the timing of this decision has sparked speculation

The decision to replace the desk came just days after Musk’s son, X, joined Trump at a press briefing on a new executive order regarding Musk’s role as Head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Trump introduced the child, saying:

“This is X, and he’s a great guy—a high IQ individual.”

During the event, X mimicked his father, made strange noises, picked his nose, and appeared to wipe his fingers on the historic desk. The incident quickly went viral, with social media buzzing over the child’s antics.

Trump shared a photo of the replacement, the C&O desk, on his social media platform, Truth Social, explaining that every newly elected president can choose from seven desks. The C&O desk, previously used by President George H.W. Bush, was temporarily installed while the Resolute Desk undergoes a “light refinishing”.

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“This is a beautiful but temporary replacement,” Trump wrote.

The Resolute Desk, a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880, was crafted from oak timbers of the British ship H.M.S. Resolute. It has been used by every U.S. president since Hayes, except Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford (1964-1977). It was first placed in the Oval Office in 1961 at the request of President John F. Kennedy.

TRUMP’S WELL-KNOWN GERMOPHOBIA

Trump, 78, has long been vocal about his dislike of germs. During his 2020 presidential campaign, he admitted he was never a fan of handshakes but tolerated them as part of political life.

“If you’re a politician, doctors, officials—everyone wants to shake your hand. If you don’t, they won’t like you,” Trump once said.

A former campaign official revealed that Trump actively avoids people who cough or sneeze, often gesturing for them to step away.

While the White House has not explicitly linked the desk replacement to X’s behavior, the timing has led many to speculate that Trump’s germophobia played a role.