Trump signs order to freeze Oval Office design after midterm losses
The president designated the space as a national monument, a move he made while Republicans lost control of Congress.
By Mei Lin ·
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday to lock in the current design of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room. The order declares the spaces national monuments and requires Congress to approve any major changes. This action creates a new procedural hurdle for future leaders who might want to alter the rooms.
Trump issued the proclamation on his first official day in office following the midterm elections. On Tuesday, his party lost key races across the country, shifting legislative power to Democrats. As he signed the document, Trump sat at the Resolute Desk with a red baseball cap featuring the word VETO on the front. The gesture served as a visual cue for his intent to block future changes to the White House.
During a press gathering, Trump described the new status of the rooms. He stated that the Oval Office is a symbol similar to the White House itself. Trump warned against future leaders altering the space. 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, he said.
The proclamation follows a week of Trump focusing on his Washington projects. On Monday, he discussed the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. On Wednesday, he signed the final beam for his new ballroom project. Since returning to the White House, Trump has added golden accents, portraits, and a copy of the Declaration of Independence to the Oval Office walls.
The new monument status is not permanent. Proclamations can be reversed by future presidents. Trump has previously used this method to roll back other national monument designations. He did not specify exactly what threats he foresaw for the Oval Office, though he has faced lawsuits regarding his beautification projects lacking necessary approvals.
Trump suggested he would personally intervene if the design were threatened. If anybody ever decides to come and start knocking down walls, you call me wherever I may be, he said. He added that he would return to ensure the changes never happened.
Democrats have begun reviewing Trump's spending and projects following the election results. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent letters to donors of the ballroom project on Thursday. The letters demanded information or threatened alternative measures to obtain compliance.
