Trump signs order designating Oval Office and Cabinet Room landmarks

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation in the Oval Office on Nov. 5, 2026, designating the Oval Office and Cabinet Room a national monument under the 1906 Antiquities Act. On camera he said he was making them a landmark for the ages that will not be able to be taken down, destroyed, touched or anything else, calling it a federal landmark. He said once documentation is fully done and legally binding, nobody will be able to destroy the space, and that the proclamation goes to Congress for ratification. The signing came two days after Republicans lost both houses of Congress and a day after he touted his $600 million White House ballroom at the construction site. Asked about Hillary Clinton's criticism of the gold decor, Trump said he does not like her house either and called the Oval Office a place of victory. He said Obama does not know about dirt and filth, cracked stone and broken windows; Obama had mocked the changes as like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory. WHAT'S CONTESTED: Nine.com.au reports the proclamation may not be legally binding. Trump said it becomes legally binding when documentation is complete. Next steps on congressional ratification remain open.