Donald Trump has spent nearly two years turning the Oval Office into his personal golden palace. Then came a bruising midterm for Republicans. Now he wants Americans to know he still calls the shots. A blue tsunami handed Democrats control of both the House and Senate. Voters were frustrated over the economy and rising prices. The results were a stunning rebuke of Trump’s leadership. Following Republican election losses, Trump signed an executive proclamation to protect his gold-covered Oval Office makeover, but future presidents may still remove his decorations. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) And Trump seems to be running scared. The White House posted a photo of him leaning over his Oval Office desk. It carried a not-so-subtle reminder: “PSA: TRUMP IS STILL YOUR PRESIDENT.” The caption added, “Thank you for your attention to this matter.” Trump Finds Something to Celebrate After Election Night Disaster — His New White House Ballroom Trump Has a Bizarre Explanation for Republican Election Losses, Then Makes a Promise Nobody Saw ComingThat was just the beginning. Democrats are poised to challenge him on Capitol Hill. So Trump made another declaration from the room he has spent months decorating. This time, he moved to lock in protections for his White House makeover. According to Newsweek, on Thursday, Nov. 5, Trump signed a proclamation seeking to designate the Oval Office and Cabinet Room as a national monument. The move was presented as an effort to preserve the historic spaces, but Trump’s remarks made clear that he also wanted to limit what future administrations could change. “We’re making it a national monument, and it will not be allowed to be touched by anybody,” Trump told reporters from the Oval Office. Adding, “No major modification without the approval of Congress.” Trump even offered an unusual hypothetical. If a future president wanted to turn the Oval Office into a square room, he suggested, Congress would have to approve the change. There is, however, one rather inconvenient detail for the president. Trump acknowledged that his successors could remove his gold trim and paintings, provided they did so carefully. His proclamation was aimed at major alterations, not necessarily preserving every gilded ornament he had installed. The White House already holds National Historic Landmark status. That raises questions about what additional legal protection Trump’s proclamation would provide or whether it could bind future presidents. His latest declaration also comes amid a string of Washington renovation projects, including his elaborate ballroom and proposed changes involving the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has transformed the Oval Office with gold trim, ornate mirrors, decorative eagles and gilded frames. He even enlisted Florida cabinetmaker John Icart to help recreate the extravagant aesthetic associated with his Mar-a-Lago estate. Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt once celebrated the transformation as a “golden office for the golden age.” Critics have been considerably less impressed. In August 2025, a photograph of Trump entering the Oval Office sparked backlash after social media users zoomed in on the heavily decorated doorway. Some compared the embellishments to craft-store merchandise. Another controversy erupted when observers spotted a tube of Krazy Glue on the Resolute Desk. The discovery revived allegations from journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan that Trump had personally used adhesive to attach decorations to the fireplace. Even former President Barack Obama joined the conversation during an October 2026 campaign rally in Cleveland. “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory!” Obama joked. The latest proclamation gave critics another opportunity to weigh in. “He’s trying to make sure his temu gold can’t be removed after he’s gone,” one wrote. Another person added, “What’s his play here? Trying to force future Presidents to keep that god awful design?” Someone else said, “Trump is declaring the Oval Office a national monument.” One person joked, “Good luck with that dream.” “That will last 5min after he leaves office,” another wrote. A last critic said, “Trivial pathetically pathetic.” Whether the proclamation will impose meaningful restrictions on future administrations remains an open legal question. For now, Trump is asserting his authority over the historic rooms while Democrats prepare to exercise theirs in Congress. But when the next president moves into the Oval Office, those golden decorations may still be headed for the storage closet. IT’S OFFICIAL: President Trump by stroke of pen signs proclamation protecting the Oval Office from ever being demolished "It will not be allowed to be touched by anybody, destroyed, ripped down by stupid people, in order to build something in a slightly different shape. We like the Oval Office." "We’re declaring it a National Monument, send it over to Congress and ratify it." "VERY important place. The biggest people come through…and they’re in this room, and they can’t believe it." I’m glad the White House is not only being upgraded but preserved ALL future presidents should appreciate this!— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 5, 2026 Trump Declares He’s ‘Still Your President’ as Democrats Celebrate — Then Makes a Move to Leave His Mark on the White House Long After He’s Gone ...read more read less