Key facts
- The order declares the Oval Office and some surrounding rooms a national monument, per the document.
- The order says it does not restrict the president's authority to redecorate, select furnishings or make ordinary operational and security modifications.
- The proclamation says the Oval Office merits specific recognition despite the building's existing National Historic Landmark status.
- The National Park Service is named to maintain the office in a manner protecting its historic character and architectural integrity.
- Preservation lawyer Greg Werkheiser said furniture and decor changes are up to the president's discretion as long as permanent art and architecture are not damaged.
- Werkheiser said his firm, Cultural Heritage Partners, has filed lawsuits to block two of Trump's Washington construction projects.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on November 5, 2026 declaring the Oval Office and some of its surrounding rooms a national monument, according to the BBC. Trump told reporters the designation would stop the space from being touched, destroyed or torn down by "stupid people" to build something in a different shape.
The order calls on the National Park Service to maintain the office "in a manner that protects its historic character, architectural integrity, and association with the Presidency." The document states it does not restrict the president's authority to redecorate, select furnishings or make ordinary operational and security modifications that do not substantially impair the monument's historic structure or architectural character.
The proclamation notes that the entire building is already designated a National Historic Landmark, which is intended to prevent sudden changes, but says the Oval Office "merits specific recognition and protective management as a discrete historic structure of national significance." Congress has carved out an exemption to the National Historic Preservation Act to allow presidents to make needed changes, the BBC reported.
Greg Werkheiser, of the law firm Cultural Heritage Partners, which specializes in historic preservation, told the BBC that temporary alterations such as furniture and decor are up to the president's discretion. "As long as they're not damaging the permanent art and architecture, they can generally do whatever they want," he said. Werkheiser argued the administration has shown disregard for other historic sites in Washington and said his firm has filed lawsuits to block two projects.
The current Oval Office has existed since the early 1930s, after its conception by President Franklin D Roosevelt. Trump has altered the office during his second term, including by adding gold features to its walls, and in October suggested in an interview with Time magazine that the office would need to be torn down over Secret Service security concerns.