Just two days after his agenda was thoroughly rebuked nationwide in the midterm elections, President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order declaring the Oval Office a national monument.
Trump, who has extensively renovated the space and covered many of its surfaces with gold ― some of which he personally superglued into place ― said he wants to prevent “stupid people” from messing with the Oval Office.
“If anybody ever decides to come and start knocking down walls, you call me wherever I may be,” Trump said per The Associated Press. “And I’ll come back here and I’ll make sure it never happens.”
The golden makeover became a sore spot for Trump on the campaign trail after former President Barack Obama said it looked “like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”
The proclamation does not prevent changes in the decor, furnishings or other modifications. Instead, it seems aimed at preventing a future president from doing to the Oval Office what Trump himself did to the East Wing: knocking it down.
The proclamation, which any future president can likely revoke with the stroke of a pen, requires a process before anyone can attempt to “substantially alter or demolish” the Oval Office, Outer Oval Office and Cabinet Room.
But critics observed that, besides being pointless ― the White House itself is already a national historic landmark and that didn’t stop Trump from knocking down the East Wing ― it also flies in the face of voters’ priorities.
This week’s election results showed that Americans want the president to focus on lowering prices, ending his war on Iran and eliminating costly tariffs. Instead, Trump focused on the one thing he’s been obsessed with since returning to office: redecorating.
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