Short answer: The Resolute Desk is commonly reported as being in the Oval Office or at recent times in Mar-a-Lago area depending on who has it. Current public reports in 2025 indicate competing claims about its location, with some sources saying it was moved or temporarily refinished and others stating it’s back in use or on display elsewhere. Context and details
- What the Resolute Desk is: A 19th-century oak desk gifted by Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880, crafted from timbers of HMS Resolute, and historically used in the White House Oval Office or nearby presidential offices. It’s one of several desks used across administrations.
- Recent discussions (2025): Multiple outlets report confusion or disagreement about whether the desk remains in the White House Oval Office, has been moved to Mar-a-Lago, or is in transit for refinishing or display. Some articles explicitly mention temporary removal and refurnishing with subsequent reinstallation, while others suggest a relocation or alternate storage in the executive complex.
- Official provenance notes: The desk’s long association with the White House dates back to the Hayes administration, with subsequent moves tied to renovations and changes of the president’s working space. Its status over time has included periods in the Green Room, the President’s Office, the Lincoln Bedroom area, and the West Wing study area, depending on renovations and presidential preferences.
What this means for you
- If you need a precise, up-to-the-minute location, the answer depends on today’s events and official statements, which vary by source and may require checking the latest White House communications or reputable news outlets.
- If you’re researching the desk’s history, its general trajectory is well-documented: created 1880, used in various White House offices, and associated with renovations that moved it between rooms, with a long-standing symbolic status in American presidential history.
Would you like me to pull the very latest reports from reliable outlets to confirm its current location and provide direct citations?
