As Joe Biden sat down in the Oval Office on Wednesday, just hours after being sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, it was clear more had changed in the room than the administration.
Biden revealed some new decor as he invited reporters into his new office to watch him sign a stack of executive orders.
Donald Trump’s portrait of Andrew Jackson – the censured and fellow populist 19th-century president – was replaced with Benjamin Franklin, meant to signal Biden’s interest in science, according to the Washington Post. Other intentional changes include a portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and paired paintings of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton – representing two people with vastly differing ideologies who worked together.
Placed on the mantle and other shelving are now busts of Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, and Robert Kennedy. Also notable are a bust of César Chávez, the American labor leader and Latin American activist, and a sculpture of the Chiricahua Apache Tribe, which belonged to late senator Daniel K Inouye, the first Japanese American elected to both houses of Congress.
There have also been some cosmetic changes, including different rugs, curtains and wallpaper. Biden brought a dark blue rug out of storage to replace a lighter colored one installed by Trump.
The president has also added some personal touches, including an array of framed family photos displayed on a desk behind him. Among them is a photo of his late son, Beau Biden.
One office feature remains: Biden is also using what is known as the Resolute Desk because it was built from oak used in the British Arctic exploration ship HMS Resolute.
Biden chose the Resolute desk from the six desks traditionally offered. It was the same desk chosen by Trump, as well as Barack Obama.
The Associated Press contributed reporting
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