President Donald Trump has designated the Oval Office as a national monument, after overseeing some of the most significant changes to the space in modern presidential history. The move will seek to restrict substantial and architectural changes to one of the White House’s most recognizable spaces. Trump has also designated the Outer Oval Office and the Cabinet Room.
While presidents have long personalized the Oval Office, the current iteration was the idea of President Franklin D. Roosevelt after the original one, constructed under President William Howard Taft, was damaged in 1929. Trump’s proclamation seeks to restrict substantial structural and architectural changes.
However, the proclamation does not prevent future presidents from redecorating the rooms, and a future president could still change furniture, artwork and other décor. The proclamation issued under the Antiquities Act gives the Oval Office and adjoining spaces separate recognition as the Oval Office National Monument. And while some changes will still be allowed, it will complicate the path to any major alterations.
On Thursday, Trump told reporters that any major changes would require approval from Congress. This includes the paving over of the Rose Garden, the demolition of the White House’s East Wing to make way for the contentious construction of a new ballroom, and the embattled renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. Many of these changes have been met with legal challenges, complaints and critical discourse.
Now, the president has sought to bring in protections to preserve the changes he has made, the same week as the Republicans suffered a crushing defeat in the 2026 midterm elections. Newsweek looks at the changes Trump has made to the Oval Office. In November of 2025, a sign was added to the exterior of the Oval Office.
The sign reads “The Oval Office,” in gold, cursive lettering. In March of 2025, only a few months into Trump’s second term in office, he transformed the traditionally minimalist space, giving it a bling treatment. The space was filled with ornate, lavish gold flourishes, from the fireplace mantel to the side tables.
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