Proclamation locks in White House rooms as national monument
President Trump signed a document Thursday to designate the Oval Office and Cabinet Room as a protected historic site.
By Nathaniel Hayes ·
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday designating the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as a national monument.
The move requires Congress to ratify the designation, which would prevent future presidents from making major modifications to those two spaces without legislative approval.
Trump stated that the rooms will be sent to Congress for ratification, ensuring they cannot be taken down, destroyed, or touched by subsequent administrations.
He added that he hopes members of Congress will be smart enough not to approve any major changes to the historic structure.
The White House has held official status as a U.S. National Historic Landmark since 1960, but the new proclamation seeks specific protective management for the Oval Office.
The document notes that the Oval Office merits recognition as a discrete historic structure of national significance.
This action follows a day of remarks at the construction site for the new White House ballroom, where Trump emphasized the need for the building to remain pristine.
He described the White House as the ultimate symbol of America and stated it must be perfect.
Unlike the ballroom project, which involved demolishing the historic East Wing, the Oval Office typically undergoes cosmetic updates with each new administration.
Trump completely redecorated the Oval Office with gold accents when he returned to office last year.
The proclamation allows future presidents to redecorate the space and select furnishings or make ordinary operational and security modifications.
Those changes are permitted as long as they do not substantially impair the monument’s historic structure or architectural character.
