Trump Proclaims Oval Office a National Monument

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday designating the Oval Office and Cabinet Room as a national monument. This action occurred immediately after his political party lost control of Congress in the midterm elections held on Tuesday.

The new status does not freeze the current interior design. The proclamation states that it will not restrict a president's authority to redecorate, select furnishings, or make ordinary operational and security modifications. Such changes are permitted as long as they do not substantially impair the historic structure or architectural character of the rooms.

The document requires the Secretary of the Interior to manage the space. It also mandates documentation, review, and consideration of alternatives before any action that would substantially alter or demolish the monument. Trump separately stated that major changes would require review from Congress, although this specific requirement is not written into the proclamation's text.

During his remarks, Trump described the order in strong terms. He said the space would not be allowed to be touched, destroyed, or ripped down by people trying to build something in a slightly different shape. He referred to the Oval Office as a symbol comparable to the White House itself.

This was the third consecutive day the president addressed media regarding his Washington projects. On Monday, he discussed renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. On Wednesday, he attended the signing of the final beam for his new ballroom construction. On Thursday, he focused on the Oval Office designation.

The proclamation notes that Trump himself has reversed national monument designations made by previous presidents. A red baseball cap with the word VETO printed on the front sat on the Resolute Desk while he signed the document. This item referenced the shift in power following the election results.

Democrats have begun scrutinizing Trump's recent 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 on Thursday. The letters demanded information or threatened alternative measures to obtain compliance.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has overseen numerous design changes. He installed new chandeliers in the Cabinet Room to address poor lighting. He also added gold wall appliqués and gold-framed portraits to the Oval Office. Trump demolished the East Wing of the White House to make room for the new ballroom.