Trump Proclaims Oval Office, Cabinet Room As National Monuments
Authored by Travis Gillmore via The Epoch Times,
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed a proclamation preserving two of the White House's historical rooms.
The document declares the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as national monuments, under the authority of the Antiquities Act.
"When we get the documentation fully done, legally binding, it'll make it impossible for anybody ever to destroy this incredible space," Trump said during the signing ceremony.
The proclamation itself sets no vote for Congress: it says it does not diminish "the Congress's authority over Federal property," and nothing in its text stops a future president from rolling it back.
The remodeled Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington on Nov. 5, 2026. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
"So if they want to say let's not have an oval anymore, let's make it square, what happens is they have to go back to Congress, and hopefully ... the people in Congress will be smart enough not to let that happen," Trump said.
The Oval Office was not included in the original White House, completed in 1800. Earlier presidents chose a room in the main house to make their office, with Thomas Jefferson occupying the State Dining Room.
President William Howard Taft oversaw construction of the Oval Office in 1909. Architect Nathan C. Wyeth designed the historic oval-shaped room to symbolize the power of the presidency.
According to the White House Historical Association, President George Washington favored oval rooms for hosting guests.
The existing structure has looked the same since it was modified to accommodate President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1934.
"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," Trump said. "We like the Oval Office, and it's a symbol like the White House itself. It's a symbol of our country and the greatness of our country."
His proclamation describes the room as one of "unmatched and unique combination of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, and an association with historical events that are embedded in our national consciousness."
President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 5, 2026. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
While the Executive Mansion and grounds are already federal property protected as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service as part of President's Park, Trump declared "the Oval Office merits specific recognition and protective management as a discrete historic structure of national significance."
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is instructed by the order to create a management plan, which includes coordination with all relevant federal agencies, to review and consider any alternatives before allowing the substantial alteration or destruction of the rooms.
"It's where American history is made, and today will be preserved for the future," Benjamin Moss, White House staff secretary, said during the event.
The declaration preserves the rooms' core structural features, allowing incoming presidents to maintain tradition and decorate the spaces as they see fit, including "select furnishings, or make ordinary operational and security modifications that do not substantially impair the monument's historic structure or architectural character."
"He can do whatever he wants to," Trump said. "He's got to be very careful."
Trump prioritized White House restoration projects in both terms, with expansion of a new ballroom a centerpiece of the improvements. Construction is underway on the approximately 89,000 square-foot structure with a 22,000 square-foot room for hosting state dinners and other events.
Other plans for Washington include the addition of a Triumphal Arch, a promenade from the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River, and the National Garden of American Heroes, with hundreds of statues honoring the past.
The president also renovated the Reflecting Pool, restored dozens of statues and fountains around the nation's capital, and repaired 2,300 light fixtures, according to a statement from the White House.
Tyler Durden Fri, 11/06/2026 - 09:40
Continue reading...
[ H/T ZeroHedge ]
Authored by Travis Gillmore via The Epoch Times,
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed a proclamation preserving two of the White House's historical rooms.
SIGNED: Designating the Oval Office as a National Monument, protecting the historic office for good.pic.twitter.com/x10uKg1AUe
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 6, 2026
The document declares the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as national monuments, under the authority of the Antiquities Act.
"When we get the documentation fully done, legally binding, it'll make it impossible for anybody ever to destroy this incredible space," Trump said during the signing ceremony.
The proclamation itself sets no vote for Congress: it says it does not diminish "the Congress's authority over Federal property," and nothing in its text stops a future president from rolling it back.
The remodeled Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington on Nov. 5, 2026. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
"So if they want to say let's not have an oval anymore, let's make it square, what happens is they have to go back to Congress, and hopefully ... the people in Congress will be smart enough not to let that happen," Trump said.
The Oval Office was not included in the original White House, completed in 1800. Earlier presidents chose a room in the main house to make their office, with Thomas Jefferson occupying the State Dining Room.
President William Howard Taft oversaw construction of the Oval Office in 1909. Architect Nathan C. Wyeth designed the historic oval-shaped room to symbolize the power of the presidency.
According to the White House Historical Association, President George Washington favored oval rooms for hosting guests.
The existing structure has looked the same since it was modified to accommodate President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1934.
"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," Trump said. "We like the Oval Office, and it's a symbol like the White House itself. It's a symbol of our country and the greatness of our country."
His proclamation describes the room as one of "unmatched and unique combination of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, and an association with historical events that are embedded in our national consciousness."
President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 5, 2026. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
While the Executive Mansion and grounds are already federal property protected as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service as part of President's Park, Trump declared "the Oval Office merits specific recognition and protective management as a discrete historic structure of national significance."
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is instructed by the order to create a management plan, which includes coordination with all relevant federal agencies, to review and consider any alternatives before allowing the substantial alteration or destruction of the rooms.
"It's where American history is made, and today will be preserved for the future," Benjamin Moss, White House staff secretary, said during the event.
The declaration preserves the rooms' core structural features, allowing incoming presidents to maintain tradition and decorate the spaces as they see fit, including "select furnishings, or make ordinary operational and security modifications that do not substantially impair the monument's historic structure or architectural character."
"He can do whatever he wants to," Trump said. "He's got to be very careful."
Trump prioritized White House restoration projects in both terms, with expansion of a new ballroom a centerpiece of the improvements. Construction is underway on the approximately 89,000 square-foot structure with a 22,000 square-foot room for hosting state dinners and other events.
Other plans for Washington include the addition of a Triumphal Arch, a promenade from the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River, and the National Garden of American Heroes, with hundreds of statues honoring the past.
The president also renovated the Reflecting Pool, restored dozens of statues and fountains around the nation's capital, and repaired 2,300 light fixtures, according to a statement from the White House.
Tyler Durden Fri, 11/06/2026 - 09:40
Continue reading...
[ H/T ZeroHedge ]
