OK what’s the story here?

Let the LGM hive mind work its Borg-like magic.

In April, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had enlisted his “gold guy” to “add custom-made gold finishes to the Oval Office, including gilded carvings for the fireplace mantel and the molding that wraps around the most famous office in the world, administration officials said.”

Here’s the thing: Some people think that the accents can be found for sale at Home Depot. In May, Inside Edition noted that some social media sleuths had noted the resemblance between Trump’s medallions and a polyurethane applique made by Ekena Millwork that retails for $58.07 at Home Depot.

Look on my works, ye mighty:

Hmmm

In its original form, the applique is factory primed in white, suggesting that some kind of gold paint or leaf was added. The theory has been back in conversation after the Instagram account Diet Prada reshared it yesterday.

Again, some of the newer details appear to match another onlay made by Ekena Millwork, this time retailing for $30.79 at Home Depot.

Classy!

As something of an expert on presidential embezzlement from White House expense accounts, I wonder what the story here is?

(1) Trump is ordering (and having the government pay for) high end if indescribably tasteless gee gaws, and somebody is getting the stuff from Target and Home Depot, spray painting it with Genuine Faux Gold, and pocketing the difference. Looking at you Melania!

(2) Trump is himself running some sort of racket where he pockets the difference between what was ordered and what is ending up on the wall of The World’s Most Famous Office.

(3) Some true patriot is doing all this, not because they have their hand in anybody’s pocket, but because they figure correctly that the world’s dimmest and most tasteless man can’t tell the difference, so why not save some money? (OK this is a real long shot but one can dream).

(4) Something else, probably in Russian.