President Donald Trump designated the Oval Office and several nearby White House rooms as a national monument on November 5, but the move does not bar future presidents from making all changes to the space.
The proclamation names the Oval Office, the Outer Oval and the Cabinet Room as the Oval Office National Monument. It directs the Interior secretary and the National Park Service to develop preservation measures and consider alternatives before substantial alterations or demolition. The White House proclamation also says the designation does not reduce Congress’s authority over federal property.
Trump said the Oval Office is a national symbol and described the measure as protection against future presidents destroying or rebuilding it. He has made extensive decorative changes to the room during his second term, including adding gold features.
The proclamation preserves some presidential discretion
The document expressly allows a president to redecorate, choose furnishings and make ordinary operational or security changes, provided they do not substantially impair the room’s historic structure or architectural character. It also leaves existing legal exemptions for the White House unchanged.
That means the designation does not prevent every future alteration. The current Oval Office dates to the early 1930s, following its conception by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The White House as a whole is already designated a National Historic Landmark.
Trump’s preservation declaration comes as his administration has pursued major changes elsewhere in Washington, including the demolition of the East Wing for a planned ballroom. That project has faced legal challenges and was approved by Congress, according to the BBC.
Greg Werkheiser, a historic-preservation lawyer quoted by the BBC, said presidents generally have discretion over temporary furnishings and decor as long as they do not damage permanent art or architecture. He criticized Trump’s preservation stance as inconsistent with other projects pursued by the administration.
Nicole French