Trump signs proclamation making Oval Office, Cabinet Room national monument

President Trump signed a proclamation Thursday making the Oval Office and Cabinet Room in the White House a national monument.

Trump noted Congress would have to ratify the proclamation, and that “no major modifications” would be able to be made to the rooms without approval from Congress.

“It’s a symbol of our country, and the greatness of our country,” Trump told reporters, referring to the Oval Office.

“If anyone ever decides to come and start knocking down walls, you call me, and I will come back here, and I will make sure it never happens,” the president said.

Trump has made a number of changes to the White House campus during his second administration, most notably knocking down the East Wing to build the White House ballroom without congressional authorization. The move led to legal challenges, but the Supreme Court ultimately ruled the construction could proceed.

Following his party’s midterm defeat, Trump invited the White House press pool to the ballroom construction site Wednesday to see the final steel beam of the structure installed.

The president has also made a number of cosmetic changes around the White House, including installing gold embellishments throughout the Oval Office.

“The Oval Office is a place of victory. It’s a place of prestige,” Trump told reporters. “See that beautiful white wall? There’s no gold in that.”

Trump added that he fixed broken windows and cracks in the White House, including the Oval Office.