Trump Flaunts Gold Cisco Phones on Resolute Desk as Critics Blast Lavish White House Excess

A presidential desk has seen plenty of historic decisions, but Donald Trump's latest addition to the Resolute Desk has managed to steal attention for a very different reason.

Two glossy black Cisco phones with gold-coloured trim, presidential branding and references to Trump's two terms were spotted inside the Oval Office, immediately prompting mockery and anger online over the cost and optics of yet another lavish White House addition.

Trump Shows off His New Gold Phones

The phones were photographed inside the Oval Office by Fox News correspondent and pool reporter Peter Doocy on Wednesday, 2 September. CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins later shared the image on X, writing: 'President Trump has a new phone on the Resolute Desk, which was captured by pooler Peter Doocy inside the Oval Office today.'

The devices are hard to miss. Each features gold-coloured detailing, the presidential seal on the keypad and a White House silhouette. The words 'THE PRESIDENT' appear above the buttons, while 'Donald J. Trump' is displayed below.

The phones also carry the numbers '45' and '47', referring to Trump's first and second presidential terms.

Trump himself appeared pleased with the new equipment when Doocy asked him about the phones during a White House event focused on summer tourism.

The Phones Match Trump's Oval Office Style

The striking devices fit neatly into the visual transformation Trump has made to the Oval Office since returning to the White House.

Gold has become a recurring feature of the president's interior design choices, with ornate decorations and gold-toned details appearing throughout the room. The phones therefore look less like ordinary office equipment and more like another deliberately presidential accessory.

Their design has also made them instantly recognisable. Rather than disappearing into the background of a busy executive office, the devices appear designed to announce exactly who uses them.

Critics Turn a Phone Into a Taxpayer Fight

Vanity Fair special correspondent and 'Fast Politics' host Molly Jong-Fast summed up the reaction bluntly, writing: 'Our taxes are being spent on the dumbest stuff.'

Other critics focused on the contrast between the phones' extravagant appearance and economic pressures facing ordinary Americans. Pennsylvania media strategist J.J. Abbott questioned the optics of the president receiving what appeared to be an expensive, customised device while Americans continue to deal with high household costs.

Who Paid for the Phones Remains Unclear

Despite the fury over taxpayer spending, the available information does not establish that American taxpayers purchased the Cisco phones.

In fact, Trump told Doocy that a phone company had given the devices to him. The supplied reporting does not identify a purchase price, explain the exact arrangement surrounding the phones or establish whether public money was used to obtain them.

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins, meanwhile, is one of the company's most highly compensated executives. Estimates cited in the reporting put his 2025 compensation at roughly $52.8 million, while other estimates have placed his net worth in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

The phones remain a curious new fixture on the Resolute Desk. But their gold trim, presidential branding and mysterious price tag have turned an ordinary piece of office technology into an unlikely White House controversy.