President Donald Trump‘s U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, a New York real estate investor and attorney, was in Paris, France this week with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
As seen in the video below, during a meeting at the historic Élysée Palace in Paris, in the Salon des Ambassadeurs (“Ambassadors Room”), Witkoff compared the room to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Witkoff pointed to the gilded trimmed walls and ceiling and said “You know what this looks like, it actually looks like President Trump’s club in Mar-a-Lago,” to which his French hosts laughed. Some raised their eyebrows.
Steve Witkoff compared the Élysée Palace in Paris to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) April 18, 2025
This is downright embarrassing pic.twitter.com/utOtbH5XUX
Note: The French neo-classic style Élysée Palace, which contains the presidential office and residency, was built in 1722, has been the home of French leaders including Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, and Presidents Pompidou, Mitterrand, de Gaulle, Chirac, and currently, Macron. Trump bought his Spanish Revival style Florida estate (which was built in 1927) in 1985.
Witkoff added of the President and his club: “He actually works on it himself. He’s like an architect or a designer.”
Witkoff’s comparison and comments are being roasted on X by accounts including ‘Republicans against Trump’ which replied: “This is downright embarrassing.”
Self-described “Reagan Conservative” Larry Murphy responded: “In an old palace, it’s very historic and grandiose. In Mar-a-Lago it’s tacky and corny.” One art dealer/historian chimed in: “Very funny – I suppose one shouldn’t be surprised at the cultural ignorance that confuses 20th century vulgarity with mid-18th c elegance!”
Beauty is famously in the eye of the beholder, of course, and Witkoff finds a few people in the comments who think the comparison isn’t off base, as below.
Not really. Mar-a-lago is beautiful inside with all the gold fixtures like that room
— Scott LaMotte (@lamotte_sc7568) April 19, 2025
.jpg){kind=link}