Trump Signs Order Designating Oval Office as National Monument
President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation, a formal presidential order, designating the Oval Office and the adjacent Cabinet Room as a national monument. Al Jazeera reported that he signed it on Thursday, his first official action since Republican losses in Tuesday's midterm elections. The White House dates the document November 5, 2026, and titles it "ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OVAL OFFICE NATIONAL MONUMENT."
The designation also covers the Outer Oval Office. The White House proclamation orders the interior secretary to manage the monument through the National Park Service, the federal agency that runs the country's national parks and other protected sites. It says the aim is to preserve the spaces' historic character, architectural integrity and association with the Presidency.
The order sets conditions on any future changes. Before any action that would substantially alter or demolish the monument, documentation and review would be required, along with consideration of alternatives. The proclamation also states that it does not restrict the president's authority to redecorate, select furnishings or change the decor of the Oval Office.
Trump said the proclamation would be the first step toward declaring the West Wing spaces a national monument, Reuters reported. The White House also published a fact sheet on the action, titled "President Donald J. Trump Establishes the Oval Office as a National Monument."
The Washington Post reported that it is unclear how much legal force the proclamation carries in preventing changes to the rooms.
