Trump Signs Proclamation Declaring Oval Office a 'National Monument' to Block Future Redecorating

On Nov. 5, 2026, two days after the midterms cost Republicans control of Congress, Trump signed a proclamation in the Oval Office that he said would make the room and the adjoining Cabinet Room "a national monument" so his redesign of them "will not be allowed to be touched by anybody." Since returning to office, Trump has covered the Oval Office's walls with portraits, a copy of the Declaration of Independence and gold accents. The Associated Press noted it was the third day that week his public remarks centered on his building projects in Washington, including a roughly $300 million ballroom and work at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Presidential proclamations ordinarily address policy or mark occasions; using one to try to fix how the Oval Office looks is an unusual assertion of authority over decisions historically left to each incoming president's own discretion, and it is unclear whether such a proclamation can legally bind a successor.

The proclamation's text and legal basis were not detailed publicly, and no legal challenge had been reported.