Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring the Oval Office a national monument, a move that would bar future presidents from making significant changes to the historic space. The order, which also covers several rooms surrounding the Oval Office, was issued after Trump’s controversial renovation of the White House’s North Wing—an undertaking that faced legal challenges and was later approved by Congress. The document states that the designation does not restrict a president’s authority to make routine operational or security modifications that do not materially damage the historic structure or its architectural character. Trump said he appreciates the Oval Office as a symbol of the nation and the White House, adding that world leaders who visited in recent months praised his decorative updates. Trump described the White House and Oval Office as having “seriously damaged” conditions before his renovations, citing broken windows, cracked walls and broken stones. He noted that many of the changes were cosmetic, including a large gold plaque reading “Oval Office” outside the room, an expansion of the Rose Garden, and the addition of a new helicopter landing pad. He said the executive order would make it “impossible for anyone to destroy this extraordinary space.”