Every change Trump has made to Oval Office as he signs order restricting future presidents from changing it
Donald Trump has taken some pretty serious steps to prevent future presidents from being able to make certain changes to the White House's Oval Office.
The US president has signed an executive order which declares the Oval Office as a national monument, in a bid to preserve the renovations made during his tenure.
Trump announced the move on Thursday, November 5, telling reporters: "We're making it a national monument, and it will not be allowed to be touched by anybody, destroyed, ripped down by stupid people, in order to build something in a slightly different shape."
Interestingly, the order will not prevent future presidents from being able to decorate the famous office, as it states 'restrict the President's authority to redecorate the monument, select furnishings, or make ordinary operational and security modifications that do not substantially impair the monument's historic structure or architectural character,' as per the BBC.
Advert
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, the 80-year-old has made some pretty big changes to the Oval Office, most noticeably, adding enormous amounts of gold.
Trump has added gold leaf detailing to the walls, doors and decorative mouldings and covered parts of the fireplace with elaborate gold ornaments. He's even added gold decorative flourishes above doorways and introduced gold urns, vases, medallions and other ornamental objects.
In addition to the gold, Trump has also added many more portraits on the wall, including the likes of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Jackson, Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt and William Henry Harrison, all adorned in extravagant gold frames.
The controversial president also brought back a number of decorations from his first presidency when he returned last year, such as a bust of Winston Churchill, military service flags and his famous Diet Coke button, which summons a butler to bring him a Diet Coke.
The decor looks startlingly different from the relatively minimalistic look used in the Oval Office while Joe Biden was president.
Outside of the office itself, Trump has made some other pretty major changes to the White House, having completely ripped down the East Wing of the building, in a move which is now facing legal challenges. It's reported that the US Congress had not approved construction, in which the space is planned to become a new ballroom.
The president has also installed a large gold plaque which reads 'Oval Office' outside, as well as paving over the Rose Garden and adding in a new helicopter pad.
Trump claims that a number of world leaders have complimented his decor within the Oval Office, adding: "We like the Oval Office, and it's a symbol, like the White House itself. It's a symbol of our country and the greatness of our country."
He went on to say the Oval Office had been 'badly damaged,' claiming he was in need of a number of repairs when he moved back in, including fixing broken windows and cracked walls.
The new executive order will allegedly 'make it impossible for anybody ever to destroy this incredible space.'
Topics: Donald Trump, US News
Emma Rosemurgey
