Donald Trump apparently wrote his inaugural address at the Mar-a-Lago receptionist's desk


President-elect Donald Trump wants you to know that he's been working really hard on his inaugural address, to be delivered on Friday. He posted a photo on Wednesday to prove it.
It is a nice desk, in front of a lovely and distinctive tile pattern. It also appears to be one usually occupied by the Mar-a-Lago club receptionist:
A big thank you to the Mar-a-Lago Club for supporting the Palm Beach Jewelry • Antiques • Design Show! #PBFallShow #maralago #palmbeach #jewelry #art #antiquesA photo posted by Palm Beach Show Group (@palmbeachshowgroup) on Dec 5, 2015 at 4:29pm PST
You can also spot the desk, in what appears to be a public hallway, in the Mar-a-Lago photo gallery, and the hallway in historic photographs of the estate Trump purchased in 1985. New York's Madison Malone Kircher suggests, politely and with more documentation, that maybe the photo isn't all that it seems to be. "We're not saying that Trump didn't write his speech, in Sharpie, on a legal pad, at this desk, with its magnificent and inspirational eagle statue," she wrote, dryly. "Obviously he did; why would the president-elect stage such a photograph? It seems clear the Secret Service cleared out Mar-a-Lago, to give Trump the privacy and quiet he needed, and he chose that particular hallway desk to begin writing his speech." We'll get to hear the fruit of his purported work on Friday.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
-
3 questions to ask when deciding whether to repair or replace your broken appliance
the explainer There may be merit to fixing what you already have, but sometimes buying new is even more cost-effective
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'
Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling