President Donald Trump removed the iconic piece of furniture from the Oval Office, …only a week after Elon Musk’s son, X Æ A-12, left a lasting mark during a high-profile visit.
X, Musk’s four-year-old son with artist Grimes, became an online phenomenon after accompanying his father and Trump for a news conference at the White House.
During the event, the kid was photographed picking his nose and wiping it on the Resolute Desk, which delighted social media users.
Clips of the incident rapidly went viral, and social media users speculated about what X might have said to the president.
Speculation arose, with some claiming he said, “I want you to shut your mouth up.” Another common theory was that X was captured on a hot mic telling Trump, “You are not the president, you need to go away.”
Despite his shenanigans, the child observed as the 78-year-old officially granted his father the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) more power to reorganize the federal government.
Now, just days later, Trump has replaced the renowned Resolute Desk with the lesser-known “C&O” Desk. According to the Daily Mail, the president, who has previously portrayed himself as a germaphobe, says that the modification is just temporary while the Resolute Desk is being refinished.
Trump wrote on Truth Social, “A President, after election, gets a choice of 1 in 7 desks.” He went on, “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.
“This is a beautiful, but temporary replacement!”
The timing of the changeover, so shortly after X’s memorable visit, has prompted many to speculate that the refinishing choice was influenced by the toddler’s antics. Trump has not addressed the link between the two occurrences, but he did laud Musk’s kid during the viral press conference, referring to him as a “high-IQ individual.”
While the official narrative is that the Resolute Desk is simply being refinished, social media users are not convinced. Many joke that X Æ A-12’s “gift” may have led to the desk’s early retirement—at least until it receives a full cleaning.
