Trump signs proclamation declaring Oval Office a national monument
The move limits demolition but explicitly allows future presidents to redecorate, a distinction that leaves the room’s specific gold accents and layout open to change.
By Camila Herrera ·
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday declaring the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room a national monument. The document was released after his political party lost control of key legislative seats in the midterm elections held Tuesday. This is the first official presidential action taken following that electoral shift.
The proclamation includes a specific clause addressing future changes. It states that nothing in the order will restrict a president’s authority to redecorate the space, select furnishings, or make ordinary operational and security modifications. These changes are permitted as long as they do not substantially impair the historic structure or architectural character of the room. The text orders the Interior secretary to manage the site and requires documentation, review, and consideration of alternatives before any action that would substantially alter or demolish the monument.
Trump described the order in strong terms during remarks on Thursday. He said the office will not be allowed to be touched, destroyed, or ripped down by people he called stupid in order to build something in a slightly different shape. He noted that the Oval Office is a symbol, much like the White House itself. He also claimed that any major changes, such as changing the room from oval to square, would require review by Congress. However, that requirement is not written into the text of the proclamation.
The signing ceremony took place on the third consecutive day that Trump focused on his Washington, D.C. projects. On Wednesday, the day after the midterm results were in, he gathered reporters to sign the final beam raised during the construction of a new ballroom. On Monday, he visited the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to discuss his renovation of that landmark. A red baseball cap with the word VETO on the front sat on the Resolute Desk while he signed the document.
Trump has made numerous design changes to the White House since returning to office. The Oval Office now features portraits, a copy of the Declaration of Independence, and numerous golden accents. He specifically mentioned new chandeliers installed in the Cabinet Room to fix what he described as very bad lighting. Other additions include gold wall appliqués and gold-framed portraits. He also demolished the East Wing of the White House to make room for his ballroom project.
Democrats have begun to scrutinize these renovations. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent letters to known donors of the ballroom project on Thursday. The letters demand that the donors provide specific information or face alternative measures to obtain compliance. Trump has faced several lawsuits alleging that his beautification projects were done without necessary approvals.
The proclamation allows a future president to reverse the designation, a power Trump himself has used in the past. It does not prevent a successor from rolling back the order. Trump said that if anyone decides to start knocking down walls, he would be called and would return to ensure it never happens. The document remains in effect as of the date of signing.
The Interior department is now responsible for managing the site under the new rules. Any future president must follow the documentation and review process outlined in the proclamation before making substantial alterations. The specific gold flourishes and layout Trump installed remain part of the current configuration of the room.
