Washington, Nov 2026 : US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation aimed at protecting the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room from major structural alterations by future administrations, arguing that the two iconic spaces should retain their historic character and architectural identity.
The proclamation, signed on Thursday, directs the Interior Secretary to oversee the preservation of the two prominent White House rooms. It also calls for proper documentation and review of proposals involving substantial structural modifications or demolition.
Trump said the Oval Office and Cabinet Room were important symbols of the American presidency and should not be subjected to drastic redesigns by future occupants of the White House.
“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. We like the Oval Office, and it's a symbol, like the White House itself,” he said.
The signing was Trump's first official action following the Republican Party's setbacks in the 2026 midterm elections.
However, the proclamation does not entirely restrict future presidents from making changes to the rooms. It allows them to redecorate the interiors, choose furniture and carry out routine operational and security-related modifications, provided these do not substantially affect the historic structures or their architectural character.
The order itself can also be reversed by a future president. Trump has previously withdrawn national monument designations introduced by earlier administrations, highlighting the possibility that a subsequent government could reconsider the latest preservation measure.
During his remarks, Trump suggested that any major structural redesign of the Oval Office would require congressional approval, although the proclamation does not explicitly establish such a condition.
“If they want to say, 'Let's not have oval anymore, let's make it square,' what happens is they have to go back to Congress and hopefully the Congress, the people in Congress, will be smart enough not to let that happen,” he said.
The announcement comes amid Trump's extensive efforts to change the appearance of the White House since returning to office. The Oval Office has undergone several decorative additions, including gold-coloured features, gold-framed portraits and other ornamental elements. Its walls now display multiple portraits and a copy of the Declaration of Independence.
Trump also highlighted improvements to the Cabinet Room, particularly the installation of new chandeliers. He said the additions were intended to address what he described as inadequate lighting in the room.
Thursday's announcement marked the third occasion this week that Trump publicly showcased his White House renovation and beautification projects.
On Wednesday, he invited reporters to witness the installation of the final structural beam for his proposed White House ballroom. Earlier, on Monday, he visited the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to discuss renovation work at the historic landmark.
Although Trump did not identify any specific structural changes that he feared a future administration might undertake, he indicated that he was determined to prevent substantial alterations to the presidential office.
“If anybody ever decides to come and start knocking down walls, you call me wherever I may be and I'll come back here and I'll make sure it never happens,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trump's renovation initiatives are attracting increased scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers, particularly over the funding and approvals associated with the projects.
On Thursday, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent letters to several donors known to have contributed to Trump's proposed White House ballroom.
Blumenthal sought information about their contributions and warned that failure to cooperate could result in “alternative measures to obtain compliance”.
The inquiry adds to the growing scrutiny of Trump's White House renovation plans. Several beautification projects in Washington have already faced legal challenges over allegations that work was undertaken without obtaining the necessary approvals.
The latest proclamation therefore comes at a time when Trump's efforts to reshape and modernise prominent government landmarks are drawing both public attention and political criticism.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
