Todd Muller won't be bringing Trump hat to new office

National leader Todd Muller won't be bringing his controversial "Make America Great Again" hat to his new office.

The hat was the centre of Muller's first controversy as National leader when it was seen on display in a photograph of his Parliament office and mentioned in a profile of Muller published on The Spinoff.

Muller will now be moving to the much more salubrious office of the Leader of the Opposition.

"I've packed it up in a box when I left the office and it will stay in the box," Muller said.

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Muller had said he would be taking the hat with him to his new office, but he's since changed his mind.

"It'll be replaced with a National Party cap," said his deputy, Nikki Kaye. 

Muller had defended the hat, saying that he was obsessed with politics and that it was a souvenir he had brought back from a trip to the United States during the 2016 election.

"That was a souvenir from a political junket," Muller said. 

"I appreciate for a number of people in New Zealand it has a different perspective, I respect that," Muller said.

"Part of this job is that you've got to check and adjust as necessary.

"You understand the context of what that hat was for me — part of the memorabilia when I went to two conventions — clearly for other people it has a greater and personal meaning. I respect that," Muller said. 

"I'm not focused on hats, I'm focused on my team and building an economic recovery for New Zealand," he said.