President Donald Trump has ordered the Resolute Desk temporarily removed from the Oval Office for refurbishment after Elon Musk’s son, X Æ A-12, appeared to pick his nose and wipe it on the historic desk during a live televised event last week.
The 4-year-old Musk scion, son of Musk and singer Grimes, was in the White House alongside his father as Trump discussed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. During the event, the child fidgeted, wandered around, and was caught picking his nose before seemingly rubbing the contents onto the famous desk, first used by John F. Kennedy in 1961 and later by Clinton, Obama, and Biden.
Trump, known for his germophobia, addressed the desk swap on Truth Social, announcing that the Resolute Desk was being "lightly refinished" and temporarily replaced with the C&O desk, a lesser-known piece previously used by George H.W. Bush.
“This desk, the ‘C&O,’ which is also very well-known, has been temporarily installed while the Resolute Desk undergoes refinishing—a very important job,” Trump wrote.
The Resolute Desk, gifted by Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880, is one of the most iconic pieces of furniture in U.S. history. The White House has not commented on when it will be reinstated.
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