"Look at my desk. Papers. You don't see presidents with that on their desk," Donald Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity last month.
The president is proud of his workspace, which sometimes resembles the cluttered atmosphere of the office he occupied at Trump Tower in New York City with the addition of, as he called them, "the most beautiful phones I've ever used in my life."
So what does it mean that our new president has brought his messy work habits to the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office (the same one used by every president since Rutherford B. Hayes—with the exceptions of Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Ford)?
A 2013 study found that "disordered offices encouraged originality and a search for novelty." "Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights," the study's authors' conclude.
That's certainly one way to describe the Trump administration.
Another study, at Northwestern University, similarly found that "people in messy rooms drew more creativity and were quicker at solving creative problems." The strategy clearly worked for creative types like Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Mark Twain, all of whom were known to have messy desks.
But organizational expert Julie Morgenstern, author of Organizing from the Inside Out, says a messy desk can also "signify a work style of starting many things, finishing none, with all of those stacks representing unfinished projects."
"The truth is that people have different styles, and some work extremely well with a messy desk and other people don't work well at all," Morgenstern says. "But [a messy desk] doesn't make a good impression on anybody—it doesn't inspire confidence."
She also points out that a lot of presidents, including Obama and the Bushes, "actually did their main work and study in a room across from the hall called the President's Study, so when they came into the Oval Office, it was not their only workspace."
"If things are piled up it can be an indication that people are not managing their time well, that they're not giving things the time and attention they need," Morgenstern says.
We asked Morgenstern to look at the desks of previous commanders-in-chief and tell us what the desk says about the man.
John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
Morgenstern's take: "I actually see not that much paper here. He has his kid with him and I see objects, memorabilia, awards, globes; his desk is covered with phones and awards and mementos, and a small pile and an open document and a side table. Two things: This is somebody who's very sentimental—there's something very personal about this—it's not spare and sterile. And I also see a systematic paper flow because of the side table."
Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)
Morgenstern's take: "It's a little bit messy, but he's active, he's doing something. I wouldn't say that there's an overwhelming amount of paper. He's not just a thinker, he's a doer, and it just looks productive to me. He's obviously keeping track of time, turning the calendar every day. I would trust that he's getting things done and he's on top of things."
Richard Nixon (1969-1974)
Morgenstern's take: "Do you trust a guy like this? History will tell us about all the smoke screens and cover-ups, and who could trace the truth in piles like that? I do have a certain bias knowing what we know about Nixon but it appears to be utter chaos."
Gerald Ford (1974-1977)
Morgenstern's take: "This gives us a little bit more of a perspective on his executive style. He's at his desk, doing work, and the piles seem to have an order; they are in rows. It could be chronological, it could be by person—it's not all crazy and chaotic. There is some visual order that he's got set up for himself. He's using his side pull-out tray, and there's some flow here. There's also a meeting area, so he can do work and then he can go and lead his team."
Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)
Morgenstern's take: "What I get from this is undivided attention. He's working on some project. He was on the phone and somebody came in and asked him a question and he gave him his undivided attention. He's also got an empty inbox so there's no pile-up."
Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
Morgenstern's take: "There is a system with controlled attention in place here. I'm noticing his pencil box, it's not overstuffed like many people's are. This is a real working desk. There is something very genuine and authentic but not out-of-control. It's abundant and active but not cluttered. It's possible that this was posed, by the way, since it looks a little less candid than others."
George H.W. Bush (1989-1993)
Morgenstern's take: "Bush Junior and Senior both used that study across the hall, but he has an inbox, and one or two things on his desk. Here's a guy who seems like he's got things pretty much under control; it doesn't look so staged to me. I see more pomp and less work. What you're seeing is the decor, the pictures, the art, and and the books, and then he's just got this little bit of work on his desk. Again this could be because he works across the hall. I don't see as much life in it."
Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
Morgenstern's take: "This was a guy who did his homework—he went deep on stuff—but you don't see too much on his desk. It doesn't look staged to me, it's a little bit like, this is what I'm working on at the moment. It just feels animated to me, and varied, like he's got a color-coded filing of some sort. Maybe those are briefings that some assistant brought in? That is probably a system of briefing."
George W. Bush (2001-2009)
Morgenstern's take: "He's got an inbox like his daddy. He probably learned that system from him. It's a little bit similar in decor, by the way, where there's not much on the desk but he's got a lot around. He does have a little clock there keeping track of time. It's a little bit spare but not empty. It's not staged. He's not that engaged with his desk—I don't know if he was that engaged with the job. He seemed a little overwhelmed at the job, trying to get the hell out of dodge."
Barack Obama (2009-2017)
Morgenstern's take: "There are two phones on the left, no inbox, and an iPad [in a DODOcase]. This is an image of somebody who's really making good use of technology, a more modern president. The iPad means there could be a lot more of an organizational system than meets the eye. The binder shows that there's a system there. He's got this one piece of paper he's looking at—I don't know if that's related to the call that he's on and he's following his thoughtful script—but he seems very thoughtful and focused."
Donald Trump (Pre-White House)
Morgenstern's take: "There's all this stuff competing for his attention and it's really hard to be present. You'd have to dig under the papers to see what's there. Down in the front left are Miss America posters. Those are like trophies. And there are magazine covers there too. He's surrounded by trophies, and his work is just chaotic. It's all show and no work. The truth is I do have clients whose desks and floors are filled with stacks, but if I ask them what is in a certain pile, they know. And Trump might, but best practice is that your desk is clear of everything except the project that you are currently working on and the tools that you need to do your work. That's so that your desk and your mind are clear to be fully focused on the project at hand. I'm struck by how impulsive and nonsystematic our current president seems to be compared to how systematic Obama seemed to be."
Sam Dangremond is a Contributing Digital Editor at Town & Country, where he covers men's style, cocktails, travel, and the social scene.
