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President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday (November 5) declaring the Oval Office and Cabinet Room at the White House as a national monument. This move aims to preserve these iconic spaces from significant alterations by future administrations. Trump stated that the offices could not be "touched by anybody, destroyed, ripped down by stupid people," as reported by UPI.
The proclamation includes the outer Oval Office, which has undergone significant redesigns during Trump's second term. However, the designation does not prevent future presidents from making changes to the offices, nor does it prevent a successor from reversing the proclamation. Trump himself has reversed national monument designations made by his predecessors, according to PBS News.
Trump indicated that major alterations would require congressional approval, although this requirement does not appear in the proclamation's text. "If they want to say, 'Let's not have oval anymore, let's make it square,' what happens is they have to go back to Congress," he said.
The proclamation comes amid broader renovations at the White House, including the demolition of the East Wing to make room for a $600 million ballroom. Trump has also made extensive decorative changes to the Oval Office, adding gold accents and portraits, which have drawn criticism from figures like former President Barack Obama. Obama compared the changes to "Saddam Hussein opened the Cheesecake Factory," as reported by ABC News.
Trump's efforts to preserve changes at the White House come as Democrats prepare to scrutinize his actions. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal has sent letters to donors of Trump's ballroom project, seeking information or threatening "alternative measures to obtain compliance."