The proclamation aims to protect the historic space from major structural changes by future presidents, though it allows for redecorating.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to declare the Oval Office and Cabinet Room as national monuments. According to BBC News, the move aims to prevent future presidents from making certain changes to these White House spaces.
Trump, who has added gold features to the Oval Office during his second term, said the rooms should not be destroyed or ripped down by people to build something in a different shape. He described the Oval Office as a symbol of the country's greatness.
The proclamation directs the Interior Secretary to oversee the preservation of the rooms and calls for the National Park Service to maintain them. The order specifies that it does not restrict a president's authority to select furnishings, redecorate, or make ordinary security and operational modifications that do not substantially impair the architectural character.
While the order seeks to protect the historic structure, India TV reported that it does not establish an absolute restriction on future presidents. Successors would retain freedom to change decor and furniture, and the proclamation itself could be reversed by a subsequent president.
Greg Werkheiser of the law firm Cultural Heritage Partners told BBC News that temporary alterations like furniture and decor are generally at the president's discretion. He noted that the administration has previously attempted to undermine laws that require the preservation of historic sites.
