US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that, he said, will prevent future presidents from making certain changes to the White House Oval Office. UNN reports this, citing the BBC.
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Trump, a former real estate mogul, radically changed the appearance of the official office of the US president during his second term, including by adding numerous gold elements.
"We are turning it into a national monument, and no one will be allowed to touch it, tear it down, or have stupid people demolish it to build something of a slightly different shape," Trump told reporters on Thursday, November 5.
The order was issued several months after Trump demolished the entire East Wing of the White House as part of a project that encountered legal problems.
The project was also approved by the US Congress. Construction is underway, and the space is planned to be converted into a new ballroom.
Currently, US presidents have the right to make some changes to the White House, but major projects require congressional approval.
The executive order signed by Trump on Thursday declares the Oval Office a national monument, along with some of the rooms surrounding it.
The document also states that it does not "limit the president's authority to redecorate the monument, select furnishings, or make ordinary operational and security modifications that do not substantially damage the monument's historic structure or architectural appearance."