U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order on Thursday designating the Oval Office and the adjoining Cabinet Room as a national monument, a move he said will prevent any future president from altering, demolishing or otherwise changing the historic spaces.
Trump told reporters the proclamation “won’t be able to be taken down, destroyed, touched, or anything else. It’s called actually a national monument,” emphasizing that the order makes it impossible for later occupants of the White House to carry out building work in the two rooms.
The announcement came a day after Democrats secured control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterm elections. Critics have accused the president of focusing on White House renovations—such as a new ballroom and the gold‑ornamented Oval Office he has decorated since returning to office—rather than voter concerns about the war in Iran and rising living costs that dominated the campaign.
Trump’s attention to the West Wing has sparked speculation about further changes, especially after earlier suggestions that he might relocate reporters from the nearby White House briefing room. The president, 80, has also referenced the election results by placing a red baseball cap bearing the word “veto” on the Resolute Desk.
The signing was not broadcast by major U.S. television networks, and the White House excluded CNN from its rotating pool of outlets covering presidential events. Trump has warned he will use his powers to block Democratic‑backed legislation, while also indicating a willingness to work with the opposition party.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
