President of the United States Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at limiting the ability of future presidents to make certain changes to the Oval Office of the White House. The move comes after his term, during which the former real estate tycoon significantly transformed the look of the official office, notably adding many gold elements.
Trump told reporters that he is declaring the Oval Office a “national monument,” stressing that it will not be allowed to be altered, destroyed or demolished to build something different. The executive order, signed on Thursday, designates the Oval Office and several surrounding rooms as national monuments.
This decision follows an earlier project by Trump in which he demolished the entire East Wing of the White House. That project, which has faced legal challenges, was also approved by the U.S. Congress and has continued with plans to convert the space into a new ballroom. Currently, U.S. presidents have the authority to make some changes to the White House, but major projects require congressional approval.
The text of the executive order clarifies that it does not “limit the President’s authority to redecorate the monument, to select furnishings, or to make routine operational and security modifications that do not materially damage the historic structure or architectural character of the monument.” This indicates a certain flexibility within the new restrictions.
Trump expressed his admiration for the Oval Office, describing it as a symbol of the country and of its greatness, just like the White House itself. He added that world leaders who had recently visited had complimented him on the decorative changes he had made. He also stressed that the White House and the Oval Office had been “badly damaged” before his interventions, citing broken windows, cracked walls and broken stones.
However, many of the visible changes were mainly cosmetic, such as the addition of a large gold plaque reading “Oval Office” outside the space, the redesign of the Rose Garden and the construction of a new helicopter pad. Trump concluded by saying the order would make it “impossible for anyone to destroy this extraordinary space”.