Trump declares Oval Office a national monument before leaving office

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday making the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room a national monument. The move marks his first official act after his party lost control of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Trump described the order as a way to protect the room’s physical structure from future changes.

The proclamation does not stop a future president from changing the furniture or style of the office. It also does not prevent a successor from canceling the monument designation itself. Trump has previously reversed national monument designations created by earlier presidents. The new rule requires the Interior secretary to manage the space and document any plans that would significantly alter or demolish the historic structure.

“It will not be allowed to be touched by anybody, destroyed, ripped down by stupid people, in order to build something in a slightly different shape,” Trump said during his remarks. “We like the Oval Office, and it’s a symbol, like the White House itself.” The president emphasized that the room serves as a core symbol of the executive branch.

The text of the proclamation explicitly allows the president to redecorate, select furnishings, and make ordinary operational or security modifications. These changes must not substantially impair the historic structure or architectural character of the monument. Trump stated separately that any major changes would require review by Congress, although that specific requirement is not written into the document.

This is the third day this week that Trump has focused on his Washington projects. On Wednesday, he signed the final beam for his new ballroom construction. On Monday, he discussed renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. A red baseball cap with the word VETO on the front sat on the Resolute Desk while he signed the new document. The cap referenced the shift in power in Congress.

Democrats have begun increasing scrutiny of Trump’s spending and projects. Senator Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent letters to known donors for the ballroom project on Thursday. Blumenthal demanded information from the donors or threatened other measures to ensure compliance.

Trump has made numerous design changes to the White House since returning to office. The Oval Office now features wall portraits, a copy of the Declaration of Independence, and numerous gold accents. He highlighted new chandeliers installed in the Cabinet Room to fix poor lighting. The Oval Office also includes gold wall appliqués and gold-framed portraits.

Trump suggested that the Oval Office might face threats in the future, though he did not specify who might change it. He has faced several lawsuits alleging that his beautification projects in Washington lacked necessary approval. “If anybody ever decides to come and start knocking down walls, you call me wherever I may be,” Trump said. “And I’ll come back here and I’ll make sure it never happens.”