Trump's being slammed for this photo of his desk - here are past presidents' desks for comparison

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Trump's being slammed for this photo of his desk - here are past presidents' desks for comparison

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Donald Trump Desk

The White House

Trump's desk is missing something.

US President Donald Trump was lambasted on social media after releasing a White House handout purportedly showing him working during the government shutdown. 

Online commenters pointed out Trump's stiff posture and empty desk.

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Trump's desk has been busier in the past, but his workspace lacks the family photos that previous presidents often showcased.



Your desk can shine a light on some of your work habits and personality traits.

So it's not surprising that a recent photo of US President Donald Trump spawned a number of reactions on social media. The White House handout depicts Trump sitting at the Oval Office's Resolute desk. The surface of the desk is mostly clear, aside from a phone. Trump appears to be leaning forward in his chair listening to a phone call, while wearing a white "Make America Great Again" hat.

Some Twitter users speculated whether or not the POTUS was getting much done at all, pointing out his stiff posture and empty desk.

"Home Rule: Households, Manhood, and National Expansion on the Eighteenth-Century Kentucky Frontier" author and Western Carolina University history professor Honor Sachs even took to Twitter to compare Trump's workspace with that of previous presidents.

Her tweet thread spanned Barack Obama's tidy work zone to Teddy Roosevelt's paper-strewn desk.

Business Insider also found some photos of past president's desks. Of course, these photos aren't necessarily definitive portrayals of their typical workspaces. It's relatively easy to move objects around and clear things away when it comes time to sign a bill or pose for a photo op.

But it's clear that Trump's White House workplace set up lacks one element adopted by many past presidents: prominently featured family photographs.

Here's a look at some of the desks of previous US presidents: