President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday designating the Oval Office, the Outer Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as a national monument and federal landmark. The stated aim is to preserve the spaces and stop future administrations from altering them. It was his first official action after his party was swept aside in Tuesday's midterm elections.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump described the move in sweeping terms. He said the rooms would not be able to be taken down, destroyed or touched. He also said he would send the designation to Congress to be ratified, and that major modifications would need congressional approval.
“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 said. "We like the Oval Office, and it's a symbol, like the White House itself."
The proclamation signed by Trump says that it will "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."
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Trump did not say exactly what he hoped to prevent, but suggested the Oval Office might face a threat someday. He told reporters that if anyone ever starts knocking down walls, they should call him and he would return to stop it.
The proclamation comes amid wider White House renovations, including the demolition of the East Wing to make room for a $600 million ballroom. A day after Republicans suffered defeats in key races across the country, Trump gathered reporters to see the final beam being raised during construction of his opulent ballroom project.
Trump has also overseen design changes to the Oval Office, adding gold accents and filling the walls with portraits. He has faced several lawsuits alleging his Washington beautification projects were done without the necessary approval.
