Trump signs order preventing future presidents from changing Oval Office

What the report says

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at limiting future changes to the Oval Office, according to BBC World News. Trump said the move would protect the room and nearby White House spaces from being altered or “destroyed,” while still allowing a president to redecorate and make ordinary operational or security-related adjustments.

The order, signed on Thursday, declares the Oval Office and some surrounding rooms to be a national monument and instructs that they be maintained by the National Park Service in a way that preserves their historic character. The White House itself is already a National Historic Landmark, but Trump’s proclamation says the Oval Office deserves separate recognition as a historically significant structure. Under current practice, presidents can make some changes to the White House, though major projects require congressional approval.

The BBC reports that Trump has already made highly visible changes to the Oval Office during his second term, including adding gold-colored decorations. He has also pursued broader construction and renovation efforts in Washington, including projects that have drawn criticism from preservation advocates. Greg Werkheiser, a historic-preservation lawyer quoted by the BBC, said presidents generally have wide discretion over temporary decor, but argued that the administration has shown little respect for preservation rules elsewhere.

The issue sits within a wider debate over how much freedom presidents should have to reshape the symbolic and historic buildings tied to the office, and how much protection should be placed on them for future administrations.