Free Republic

When Omarosa Manigault, the former “Celebrity Apprentice” antihero-turned-White House adviser, needs to talk to President Donald Trump, she simply strolls into the Oval Office. As assistant to the President and director of communications for the office of public liaison, Manigault enjoys what Trump aides refer to as walk-in privileges — meaning she doesn’t need an appointment or permission to pop her head in and consult with the leader of the free world. Her level of easy access marks a break from the previous administration, where President Barack Obama and his gatekeeper chiefs of staff kept at bay the number of...

WASHINGTON (AP) — It took just a few hours for President Donald Trump to give the Oval Office a makeover, including some fresh gold trim. There were changes from floor to ceiling as the White House brought reporters into the Oval Office on Friday evening for the first time since Trump became president at noon. He was signing an executive order and other paperwork in his first major acts as president. Gone was the giant, circular “quote rug” that took up most of the room when Barack Obama was in charge, featuring quotes attributed to former presidents lining the perimeter....

President Obama is apparently refusing to renovate the Oval Office — and has instead decided to pass the buck to Donald Trump, who may be forced to work somewhere else for a quarter of his term now as a result of the numerous security upgrades that will be going on inside the room. “My understanding is that for the first year of his time in office, President Trump will not have the Oval Office,” former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove told Fox News on Wednesday.