FILE-President Donald Trump points during a campaign rally at the Shoemaker Center at Ohio University on October 28, 2026 in Chillicothe, Ohio. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump is taking steps to designate the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as protected historic spaces, seeking to shield both iconic White House rooms from major alterations by future administrations.
Reuters reported that Trump signed a proclamation that he said is an initial step to declaring the West Wing spaces as a national monument.
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Trump cited the history of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room as the reason for his desire to preserve them.
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President Donald Trump's signing on Thursday marked the third time this week he has promoted his renovation projects. On Monday, he unveiled his restored Reflecting Pool. And on Wednesday, the day after the midterm elections, he gave reporters a tour of the ballroom construction.
Referencing Trump’s proclamation, Reuters noted that the White House is already recognized as a national historic landmark but "nonetheless, the Oval Office merits specific recognition and protective management as a discrete historic structure of national significance," according to Reuters.
Trump’s proclamation would need congressional approval. This news comes two days after midterm elections with Republicans losing control of Congress as Democrats will assume the majority in January.
Trump returned to the White House last year and made adjustments to the Oval Office by featuring gold accents, paved over the Rose Garden, removed the East Wing to make way for a ballroom, and resurfaced the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by Reuters, which cites President Donald Trump’s proclamation about the Oval Office and Cabinet Room. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.