Less than 48 hours after the “blue tsunami” of Election Day 2026 stunned pundits and politicians alike, President Donald Trump prioritized protecting the White House’s Oval Office from major changes by future leaders.
Signing an Establishment of the Oval Office National Monument proclamation on November 5, he told reporters gathered in front of the Resolute desk, “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.”
President Trump Can’t Keep Future Presidents From Redecorating
Although the White House and its grounds are Federal property overseen by the National Park Service and recognized as a National Historic Landmark, Trump’s proclamation provides an extra layer of protection for the Oval Office, which he has filled with gold accents including sconces, curtains, frames, and wall decorations.
Trump’s executive order declares that the new National Monument includes “the Oval Office itself (Room 110) together with the Outer Oval Office (Rooms 106 and 108) and the Cabinet Room (Room 105).” The Secretary of the Interior is tasked with managing the space “in a manner that protects its historic character, architectural integrity, and association with the Presidency.”
Trump told reporters he wanted to ensure the Oval Office doesn’t become another shape, but the executive order won’t keep future presidents from redecorating.
The document reads, “Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to restrict the President’s authority to redecorate the monument, select furnishings, or make ordinary operational and security modifications that do not substantially impair the monument’s historic structure or architectural character.”
“We like the Oval Office, and it’s a symbol, like the White House itself,” Trump told reporters at the signing, per the BBC. “It’s a symbol of our country and the greatness of our country.”
Trump Says World Leaders Marvel at the Oval Office
“We like the Oval Office, and it’s a symbol, like the White House itself,” Trump told reporters at the signing. “It’s a symbol of our country and the greatness of our country.”
Calling the office “very amazing,” he reflected, “The biggest people come through that door or that door or that door. A lot of doors. And they’re in this room and they can’t believe it.”
He continued, “We had the president of China recently and then a couple of weeks before that, we had King Charles and they both said, ‘Wow, this is the Oval Office.’ So, it’s very important, very important. The biggest people, every time they walk through those doors, they want to they want to just examine and look at it.”
Under the new executive order, he said, Congress would have to approve any major renovation to the space. He also told reporters, “I’ll sign that and I think in theory that should end that problem and if anyone ever decides to come and start knocking down walls, you’ll call me wherever I may be, and I will come back here and I will make sure it never happens.”
Trump Names Oval Office a National Monument to Block Future Changes: Can Future Presidents Redecorate?