Trump declares Oval Office a national monument
He signed an executive order aiming to block future presidents from altering the renovated Oval Office.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring the Oval Office at the White House a national monument, a move he says will prevent future presidents from making changes to the room he recently renovated.
Trump framed the order as a protective measure for the presidential office's interior, saying he wanted to stop successors from altering its appearance.
What the order does — and what remains unclear
In a public statement, Trump said: "We're making it a national monument and nobody will be allowed to touch, destroy and tear it down in order to build something in a slightly different form." He described the step as necessary to preserve the look he established during his term.
Legal experts and constitutional scholars note uncertainty about whether an executive order can permanently fix the status of a room inside the White House. It is also unclear whether a subsequent president could reverse the order or whether a court challenge could overturn it.
The declaration adds a new chapter to the long-running debate over how much authority presidents have to reshape White House interiors and whether such decisions can be insulated from future administrations.
Photo: AP)
