Here is a story which I apparently missed back in August.
This took place when Trump first announced plans to desecrate the White House. He received a lot of criticism, of course. But the Trump White House seemed to take particular exception when it was done by musician Jack White.
White House spokesman Steven Cheung went on the attack, trying to paint White as a bitter, washed-up artist doing whatever he could to make headlines and remain relevant. Basically, he was attempting the old tried and true method of character assassination to discredit White ad, in the process, render his criticisms largely meaningless. As the rantings of someone who might just be speaking on a subject he knows nothing about in order to generate cheap headlines. Something which, frankly, the Trump administration knows something about.
Here, specifically, is what Cheung said of White:
“Jack White is a washed-up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media because he clearly has ample time on his hands due to his stalled career.”
“It’s apparent [White]’s been masquerading as a real artist, because he fails to appreciate, and quite frankly disrespects, the splendor and significance of the Oval Office inside of ‘The People’s House.”
That's rich coming from the Trump White House. This man destroyed the Rose Garden and the East Wing, quite literally disrespecting and destroying "the splendor and significance of the Oval Office." At a time when inflation - a problem which candidate Trump promised to fix but failed to deliver on - is hurting the American people in real time, Trump and his administration have shown just how tone deaf they are by paving over the Rose Garden and building the grand ballroom that will prove costly to the American taxpayer. Pictures of the design of the ballroom online seem to show that it will dwarf the actual White House by way of comparison.
Oh, and let's not forget the Great Gatsby themed party which Trump and his cronies recently threw.
Again, talk about tone deaf.
But I digress....
Jack White responded to the criticism quite beautifully. If they seemed to want to paint White's criticisms as the desperate ravings of someone who simply wants to be part of some story to generate headlines and superficially make himself significant again, they picked the wrong guy. White is clearly intelligent and well-spoken. And in his response, he once again took aim at the evils and excesses of this Trump administration. He leveled serious critiques which are frankly difficult to argue with.
Here is how he opened his response:
"Listen, I’m an artist and not a politician so I’m in no need to give my answer or opinion on anything if I’m not inspired or compelled, but how funny that it wasn’t me calling out trump’s blatant fascist manipulation of government, his gestapo ICE tactics, his racist remarks about Latinos, Native Americans, etc. his ridiculous 'wall' construction, his attacks on the disabled, his attempted coup and mob insurrection and destruction of the sacred halls of congress, his disparaging sexist and pedophilic remarks about women, his obvious attempts at distraction about being a close personal friend of Jeffrey Epstein and his inclusion in the Epstein files, his ignorance of the dying children in Sudan, Gaza, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, his lack of empathy for military veterans and those struggling with poverty, his attempts to dismantle healthcare, his obvious wimpy and pathetic kowtowing to the dictators Putin and Kim Jong Un, his nazi like rallies, his attempts to sell merchandise and products like Goya beans through the office of the President, his fake 'gunshot to the ear' that he showed no medical records or photographs of, his constant, constant, constant lying to the American people, etc. etc. etc."
"No, it wasn’t me calling out any of that, it was the f*cking DECOR OF THE OVAL OFFICE remarks I made that got them to respond with insults," he continued. "How petty and pathetic and thin skinned could this administration get? 'Masquerading as a real artist'? Thank you for giving me my tombstone engraving! Well here’s my opinion, trump is masquerading as a human being."
"He’s masquerading as a christian, as a leader, as a person with actual empathy," he wrote. "He’s been masquerading as a businessman for decades as nothing he’s involved in has prospered except by using other people’s money to find loophole after loophole and grift after grift."
I like how White pointed out that the Trump White House seems always particularly incensed with matters which, frankly, lack substance. Trump himself has shown more rage when someone attacks him on a superficial level, yet seems strangely and, frankly, suspiciously silent when it comes to the Epstein Files, which should be enough to send him into a fury about harming his reputation and good-standing....if he were innocent. The fact that he seems not only to think but also clearly wants this story to simply go away feels telling to me.
Similarly, this White House seems to get incensed and provoked into a response attacking a popular artist not for serious criticisms leveled at the systematic illegal and immoral practices and abuses of power by this administration, but rather, by largely superficial criticisms of what they are physically doing to the literal White House.
Once again, it makes you wonder...
Anyway, here is how White concluded his response:
"I was raised to believe that we defeated fascism in World War II and that we would never allow it again in the world. I don't always state publicly my political opinions, and like anyone I don't always know all of the facts, but when it comes to this man and this administration I'm not going to be like one of the silent minority of 1930's Germany. This man is a danger to not just America but the entire world and that's not an exaggeration, he's dismantling democracy and endangering the planet on a daily basis, and we. all. know. it. -JW III... 'To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.' - Theodore Roosevelt"
Now, I know that many would likely not see me as the most objective source. Hell, I will even concede the point. However, it seems clear to me that the Trump administration likely underestimated White, as they often tend to underestimate many people and things. Hubris tends to do that to people. Also, it feels like White made some very astute points about the ridiculous and absurd nature of this pathetic excuse for a presidential administration.
Still, it seemed worth sharing here. Below are the links to the sources where I first found out about this story, which again, I seemed to have missed back in August. I happened on it first on Facebook and seeing a post from former Pearl Jam drummer David Abbruzzese. Then I did a little research and found this article from Audrey Gibbs of the Tennessean. I would recommend taking a look, and both sources are linked below:
David Abbruzzese Facebook post, November 12, 2025:
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10166795765383508&set=a.65227178507
Jack White and White House feud after Trump's Oval Office redesign: 'Low life fascist' Portrait of Audrey GibbsAudrey Gibbs Nashville Tennessean Aug 21, 2025:
Jack White, White House spar over Trump's Oval Office redesign
https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2025/08/21/jack-white-white-house-statement-trump-oval-office-redesign/85749282007/
Jack White, White House spar over Trump's Oval Office redesign
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