A large throne with a golden toilet has been installed on the National Mall in Washington as a sign of criticism of the White House renovation carried out by US President Donald Trump.
Reuters reports this.
The throne is stylized as marble and gold, has a toilet instead of a seat, and a plaque with the inscription “A Throne Fit for a King.”
“In a time of unprecedented division, escalating conflict, and economic turmoil, President Trump focused on what truly mattered: the renovation of the Lincoln Bathroom in the White House,” the plaque on the throne reads.
The “Golden Throne” statue, hinting at President Trump's renovation of the bathroom attached to the Lincoln Bedroom in the White House, March 30, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Getty Images/The Washington Post/Maxine Wallace
The plaque continues: “It stands as a tribute to the steadfast visionary who looked down, saw a problem, and painted it gold.”
The “Golden Throne” statue, hinting at President Trump's renovation of the bathroom attached to the Lincoln Bedroom in the White House, March 30, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Getty Images/The Washington Post/Maxine Wallace
In an installation near the Lincoln Memorial, a roll of toilet paper labeled “Secret Handshake” sat on a holder next to the toilet.
A gold sculpture of a toilet bowl with toilet paper and the words “Secret Handshake” stands on the National Mall on March 30, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Getty Images/The Washington Post/Maxine Wallace
Secret Handshake is a partisan art group that has installed about a dozen statues or other works on the National Mall over the past 16 months criticizing Trump and his followers, The Washington Post reports.
The people behind this group, whose real names are unknown to The Washington Post, use an intermediary to obtain permits to install facilities from the National Park Service.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle said of the statue: “President Trump is making the White House and our nation's capital more beautiful than ever before. The President will never stop working on behalf of the American people and delivering on the promises he was elected to deliver by an overwhelming majority.”
What is known about the Secret Handshake statue?
Earlier this month, an art collective installed a statue of the president hugging the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, recreating a famous scene from the movie Titanic.
A Titanic-themed statue of U.S. President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein was unveiled on the National Mall on March 10, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Getty Images/The Washington Post/Maxine Wallace
In September 2025, the group installed a spray-painted bronze statue titled “Best Friends Forever,” showing Trump and Epstein holding hands, each with an arm and leg raised behind their back in a jumping pose.
People take photos of a statue depicting US President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands, titled “Best Friends Forever” by the anonymous art collective Secret Handshake, installed near the US Capitol on September 23, 2025. Getty Images/AFP/Brendan Smialowski
What is known about Trump's reconstructions?
In October 2025, Trump announced a renovation of Lincoln's bathroom, replacing its 1940s Art Deco style with gold plumbing fixtures and “black and white polished statuary marble,” The Washington Post reported.
Since returning to office last year, Trump has begun a massive renovation of the White House and Washington, D.C., as a whole.
That same year, the administration of US President Donald Trump announced the construction of a new ballroom in the East Wing of the White House. The goal of the project is to be able to host large events honoring world leaders without having to set up temporary tents on the grounds.
Later, the East Wing of the White House was completely demolished . Construction began on the site of the building that traditionally housed the First Lady's office, a new ballroom.
In February 2026, the US President announced that the Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., would close for a two-year renovation on July 4, 2026 , “in honor of our country's 250th anniversary.” Trump believes that if the building is revitalized and rebuilt, it “can certainly become the finest performing arts facility of its kind in the world.”