US President Donald Trump has moved to protect his revamped Oval Office from major alterations by future presidents, signing an executive order declaring it a national monument.
Trump, a former real estate mogul, has made significant changes to the presidential office during his second term, most notably covering its walls with gold decorations and features.
Announcing the order on Thursday, Trump said the move would prevent future presidents from destroying or significantly changing the office.
“So 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,” he told reporters.
The executive order designates the Oval Office and some of its surrounding rooms as a national monument. It directs the National Park Service to maintain the site in a way that safeguards its historic character, architectural integrity and connection to the presidency.
However, the order does not prevent the president from redecorating the office, choosing furniture or carrying out routine operational and security modifications, provided these do not substantially damage its historic structure or architectural character.
“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,” Trump said.
US presidents have the authority to make certain changes to the White House, although major projects require congressional approval. The Oval Office has existed in its current form since the early 1930s, following its conception by former president Franklin D Roosevelt.
The White House is already designated a National Historic Landmark, a status intended to protect the building from sudden changes. Trump’s proclamation acknowledged the existing protection but argued that the Oval Office deserved separate recognition because of its national significance.
Greg Werkheiser, from law firm Cultural Heritage Partners, which specialises in historic preservation, said presidents generally had the freedom to make temporary changes involving furniture and decorations.
“As long as they’re not damaging the permanent art and architecture, they can generally do whatever they want,” he told BBC News.
However, Werkheiser accused the Trump administration of showing disregard for other historic sites in Washington, including through legal challenges to preservation laws.
He described Trump’s move to protect the Oval Office as hypocritical, arguing that the administration was simultaneously seeking to weaken protections for other historic locations.
Trump has embarked on a major beautification programme in Washington and held three events over the past week to promote the construction work, despite his Republican Party suffering heavy losses to Democrats in the midterm elections.
Werkheiser also highlighted Trump’s plans to renovate the Kennedy Center, construct a triumphal arch in Washington DC and paint the granite exterior of the historic executive office building. His firm has filed lawsuits seeking to block two of the projects.
In October, Trump suggested in an interview with Time magazine that the Oval Office might need to be demolished because of security concerns raised by the US Secret Service.
“I said, ‘My ass, you can’t build a new one. This is a special place,'” he said at the time.
During the midterm election campaign, Democrats also criticised Trump’s redesigns. Former president Barack Obama mocked the gold additions, saying they had “got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory”.
