A provocative pop-up art installation has sparked public intrigue and political satire has drawn crowds in Washington DC just blocks from the newly renovated White House: a gold-painted toilet, styled as a mocking ‘royal throne’ for former and current President Donald Trump.
Crafted with the same over-the-top faux marble finish that Trump has become famous for favoring in his personal and public design choices, the installation features a prominent plaque reading “A throne fit for a king.” The work was created and deployed by Secret Handshake, an anonymous guerrilla art collective that has become known for placing provocative temporary sculptures across the US capital over the past 12 months.
When the installation debuted on Tuesday near the Lincoln Memorial, it immediately drew long lines of curious tourists and critical Trump opponents, all waiting for a chance to see and photograph the satirical piece. Among the visitors was 78-year-old Nancy Chase, who told Agence France-Presse she traveled specifically to Washington to snap photos of the golden toilet, citing her opposition to Trump as her core motivation.
The satire comes amid a sweeping redesign of White House spaces that Trump has overseen during his second term in office, which have all bear his distinctively opulent aesthetic. The Oval Office now features extensive gold decorative accents, the traditionally understated elegant Rose Garden has been repaved, and the entire East Wing was demolished to clear space for a sprawling new grand ballroom. Beyond architectural changes, Trump has increasingly centered his own brand and image across Washington: his name already adorns the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in massive lettering, and a new official coin featuring his likeness is set to enter circulation soon.
For many visitors who came to see the golden toilet, the work feels like a perfectly timed critique of Trump’s public persona. William Hoker, a 69-year-old retiree who biked to the installation site, called the piece a fitting characterization of the sitting president. “I wanted to see this statue before it disappeared, and I think it epitomizes perfectly the guy in the White House, he’s just a vulgar display,” Hoker explained to AFP. His friend Steve Toulotte echoed that sentiment, noting that political satire aimed at the president serves an important public purpose.
This is not the first provocative work from Secret Handshake. Over the past year, the collective has placed multiple unauthorised temporary sculptures across Washington, including one that depicted Trump alongside his late disgraced associate, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.