President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday, declaring the Oval Office a “national monument” to prevent future presidents from making substantial changes to the space.
The White House proclamation designates the Oval Office, the Outer Oval Office, and the Cabinet Room as a nationally recognized monument.
“The White House and its grounds are Federal property administered as part of the President’s Park by the National Park Service and are already recognized as a National Historic Landmark,” the proclamation states. “Nonetheless, the Oval Office merits specific recognition and protective management as a discrete historic structure of national significance.”
The directive tasks Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose department oversees the National Park Service, with managing the monument “in a manner that protects its historic character, architectural integrity, and association with the Presidency.” By signing this proclamation, Trump wishes to preserve the Oval Office’s structural and architectural features.
The document, however, does not prevent future presidents from decorating the Oval Office differently.
“Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to restrict the President’s authority to redecorate the monument, select furnishings, or make ordinary operational and security modifications that do not substantially impair the monument’s historic structure or architectural character,” the proclamation reads.
Trump unveiled his decision to reporters in the Oval Office.
“We’ve had tremendous victory in this office,” he said. “So we’re making it a national monument, and 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.”
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The move came two days after Republicans suffered massive losses in the midterm elections across the board. Since the election, Trump has returned his attention to other matters like construction of the White House state ballroom. In his first media appearance following the election, he spoke at length about the ballroom project.
“This is a special structure,” the president said on Wednesday. “It’s going to be not only one of the biggest, but it’ll be the most beautiful ballroom, I think, anywhere in the world.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
