Trump signs proclamation to designate Oval Office as national monument

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday designating the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as a national monument. The order seeks to protect the rooms from significant alterations by future administrations. Trump spoke to reporters in the Oval Office immediately after signing the document.

“We’re going to be declaring it a national monument, and we’re going to send it over to Congress to have it ratified,” Trump told the press. He stated that the designation would prevent the spaces from being “taken down, destroyed, touched or anything else.” Any major modifications to these rooms would now require approval from Congress.

The proclamation notes that the White House has been a U.S. National Historic Landmark since 1960. Trump argued that the Oval Office deserves specific recognition as a discrete historic structure of national significance. The order allows future presidents to redecorate the space or make ordinary operational and security changes, provided they do not substantially impair the historic structure or architectural character.

This announcement followed a public appearance at the construction site for the new White House ballroom on Wednesday. Trump used that forum to discuss the building project, which has required the demolition of the historic East Wing. He described the White House as the ultimate symbol of America that must remain pristine.

The focus on physical changes comes after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections. Democrats secured majorities in several states previously considered deep red. Trump’s final campaign speech on Monday was also centered on renovation efforts, specifically the reopening of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. That pool had been closed since July due to repairs requested by Trump.

When asked about legislative priorities for the remaining two months of Republican control, Trump highlighted his administration’s work on the border and the stock market. He described his first two years in office as tremendous and suggested no previous president had achieved more. He also acknowledged that there had been some mistakes during his time in the Oval Office, though he did not specify which ones.

The new ballroom project has drawn criticism from preservation groups due to the demolition of the East Wing. In contrast, the Oval Office typically undergoes cosmetic updates with each new administration. Trump redecorated the room extensively with gold accents when he returned to office last year.