No, listening devices for spying weren’t found in Oval Office

Viral rumors are suggesting that listening devices were found in the Oval Office in February 2025 and that President Donald Trump removed the historic 150-year-old Resolute Desk for a security scan as a result, but there’s no evidence to support these claims. Let’s look at the facts.

Quick Look

No
Covert listening devices were not discovered inside the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.
Yes
President Donald Trump announced on Feb. 19 that he had temporarily removed the desk for light refinishing.
No
The removal had nothing to do with concerns about surveillance devices.
Yes
The Resolute Desk was featured in an iconic photograph of former President John F. Kennedy playing with his son, John Jr., as he peered out from underneath it.

The Takeaway

Shortly after President Donald Trump announced he was temporarily removing the Resolute Desk from the Oval Office, conspiratorial claims spread on social media baselessly speculating about a nefarious reason for the move. Here are a few tips to address unfounded claims:

Look for evidence: This post does not contain any links back to credible sources. It does not make any mention of who conducted this alleged sweep or reference any official reports about this alleged discovery.

Consider the source: With no evidence, the next thing to consider is the source. Is the information from a credible news outlet? A spokesperson for the White House? Anybody who would have firsthand knowledge of this supposed discovery? In this case, the answer is no. This rumor was spread by conspiratorial third-party sources.

Read standards-based news outlets: Researching news articles would reveal important context, including that Trump himself announced he was removing the desk, that it’s not uncommon for presidents to change desks and that the Resolute Desk will likely return after some restoration work.

The 5 Factors

We’ve determined that this viral rumor is misleading or false based on its failure to pass the following credibility factors. Please note that these factors do not represent degrees of falsehood. A post that fails a single factor is generally just as false as a post that fails all five.