US President Donald Trump has signed a document he says will stop future presidents from altering the Oval Office, declaring the room a national monument.
“So we’re making it a national monument, and 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 told reporters on Thursday, in remarks carried by the Daily Mirror from BBC copy.
The document declares the Oval Office and some surrounding rooms a national monument, and calls for the office to be maintained by the National Park Service “in a manner that protects its historic character, architectural integrity, and association with the Presidency.”
Two accounts of the same signing
The filings differ on scope and legal form. The Daily Mirror describes an executive order covering the Oval Office and some adjoining rooms. CNN reports a proclamation designating both the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as national landmarks, and quotes Trump saying the administration would “send it over to Congress, have it ratified” — a step the Daily Mirror account does not mention.
Trump has extensively gilded the room since returning to office in early 2025. CNN lists gold vermeil figurines on the mantle, medallions on the fireplace, gold eagles on the side tables, gilded Rococo mirrors on the doors and gold cherubs shipped from Mar-a-Lago.
What the designation does not do
The document states it does not “restrict the President’s authority to redecorate the monument, select furnishings, or make ordinary operational and security modifications” that do not substantially impair the structure’s historic character.
The White House is already a National Historic Landmark, though Congress has carved out an exemption to the National Historic Preservation Act allowing presidents to make needed changes. The current Oval Office dates from the early 1930s, conceived under Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Greg Werkheiser of the historic-preservation firm Cultural Heritage Partners told the BBC that “furniture and decor is completely up to the president’s discretion,” adding that as long as presidents are “not damaging the permanent art and architecture, they can generally do whatever they want.”
CNN notes the signing followed Republican losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections and was Trump’s third event of the week tied to his Washington construction projects.