Trump Declares Oval Office, Cabinet Room National Monuments to Block Changes

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Thursday designating the Oval Office, the outer Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as a national monument, saying the move is meant to stop future administrations from altering the rooms. The announcement came days after midterm elections in which Democrats won control of Congress, according to Fox News.

Trump's remarks left some open questions, including whether a later president could still make changes and whether Congress must act. Here is what the reporting shows.

What did Trump sign?

The proclamation names the three West Wing spaces a national monument and federal landmark, Fox News reported. Trump signed it in the Oval Office and spoke to reporters from behind the Resolute Desk, according to The Guardian. ABC News reported that the stated aim is to prevent future presidents from making major changes to the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room.

What did Trump say it would do?

Trump said the designation would make the rooms impossible to knock down or change in any meaningful way, ABC News reported. He said they could not be touched or destroyed by anyone, and he dismissed those who might rebuild them in a slightly different shape as “stupid people,” according to ABC and The Guardian.

He also told reporters that people occasionally suggest small updates, such as adding better glass, and that he rejects them. He said that if anyone tried to knock down walls in the future, he would come back to stop it, according to The Guardian.

Can a future president still change the rooms?

Trump's comments on this point were not uniform. ABC News reported that he said no major modification would occur “without the approval of Congress.” Asked whether a future president could remove the gold accents he has added to the Oval Office, he indicated that one could, but “very carefully,” ABC reported.

ABC also reported that Trump indicated the proclamation would be sent to Congress to be ratified. Fox News and The Guardian did not report details on that step, and the reports do not describe how a ratification process would work.

Why does it matter?

The Oval Office and Cabinet Room are the working spaces of the president and top advisers. Under Trump, the Oval Office has been redecorated with extensive gold touches, The Guardian and ABC reported, and ABC said he has added new chandeliers to the Cabinet Room. The designation is intended to keep that design in place as administrations change, though the details of how it would limit later presidents were not spelled out in the reports.

For the public, the practical effect is that the look of the best-known rooms in the White House could stay as Trump has arranged them. Whether that holds will depend on how the designation is treated by future presidents and by Congress.

Why is Trump focusing on the White House now?

The proclamation is part of a run of public appearances about construction projects after the election, Fox News reported. On Monday, Trump described planned updates in front of the Reflecting Pool. The Guardian reported he also highlighted the results of a $14 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool and blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for algae in its waters.

On Wednesday, he led reporters through the construction site of the White House ballroom, where ABC said he marked the raising of the final beam. The Guardian reported the ballroom is a $600 million project that required demolishing the East Wing. ABC dated that demolition to October 2025 and said it happened with little notice or oversight. The Guardian also noted a permanent granite helipad on the South Lawn.

Trump acknowledged criticism of his focus on the building, according to ABC. He said the White House is the ultimate symbol of America and has to be pristine. He also defended the exterior work, saying walls and columns had been badly deteriorated and that he had paid for repairs, The Guardian reported.

What is the political backdrop?

The Guardian reported that Democrats made gains in several traditionally Republican states, including Texas, Kansas, South Carolina and Iowa, campaigning on affordability and corruption. A red cap reading “Veto” sat on the desk during the signing, which The Guardian described as a reminder of Trump's threat to block bills from the new Democratic-controlled Congress.

The Guardian also noted criticism of the gold-heavy redesign, including a joke from former President Barack Obama comparing the look to a restaurant chain. Fox News said Trump has also pursued a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery and changes to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

What happens next?

According to ABC News, Trump said the proclamation would go to Congress for ratification. The reports give no timeline, and the White House had not responded to Fox News' request for comment when it published.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by Fox News, The Guardian, ABC News