Trump Protects Oval Office as National Monument
President Donald Trump has taken a lasting step to safeguard one of America’s most iconic rooms. On Thursday, he signed a proclamation designating the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as a national monument, a move he said will protect the historic West Wing spaces from major changes by future presidents.
A Landmark for the Ages
Speaking during the signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump described the two rooms as treasures of American history. “It concerns the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room, very important spaces. And I’m going to be signing a document which will make them into a landmark for the ages,” he told reporters.
The proclamation, titled “Establishment of the Oval Office National Monument,” invokes the Antiquities Act and covers the Oval Office, the Outer Oval Office, and the Cabinet Room. It directs the Interior Department, through the National Park Service, to develop preservation measures and require documentation and review before any substantial alterations or demolition of the protected spaces.
Protection That Requires Congress
Trump said he intends to send the designation to Congress for ratification, and that major modifications to either room would require congressional approval going forward. “So if they want to say ‘let’s not have Oval anymore, let’s make it square,’ what happens is they have to go back to Congress, and hopefully the Congress will be smart enough not to let that happen,” he said.
The proclamation still allows future presidents to redecorate the rooms, change furnishings, and make routine operational or security modifications, as long as those changes do not substantially impair the monument’s historic structure or architectural character.
Two Rooms Steeped in History
Both the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room have sat in the same locations since the 1930s, and both have hosted major international and domestic meetings that shaped the nation. The proclamation notes that while the White House is already recognized as a national historic landmark, the Oval Office merits specific recognition and protective management as a discrete historic structure of national significance.
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has transformed the Oval Office with gold accents, paved over the Rose Garden, and begun construction of a new ballroom where the East Wing once stood. The signing ceremony marked the third time this week he highlighted his efforts to restore and remake the nation’s capital, following Monday’s unveiling of the refurbished Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and Wednesday’s tour of the ballroom construction site.
A Lighter Moment at the Signing
In a nod to the looming change in control of Congress, a red hat that said VETO sat on Trump’s desk during the signing of the proclamation. When reporters asked whether the next president would be allowed to take down all his gold decorations, Trump answered with a smile: “They can do anything they want, as long as they do it carefully.”
The move ensures that the room where presidents have made some of the most consequential decisions in American history will keep its shape, its character, and its place at the heart of the White House for generations to come.
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