Trump Rejects Secret Service Plan to Demolish Oval Office, Seeks Landmark Status

President Trump said the Secret Service proposed demolishing and rebuilding the Oval Office, but he flatly refused. In a Time Magazine interview published October 1, Trump said he told security officials the room is too special to replace. He has spent months asking his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, to explore making the Oval Office a federal landmark to preserve his extensive gold renovations and prevent successors from altering them.

What the Secret Service proposed

During a Monday interview at the White House, Trump recalled the Secret Service suggesting the Oval Office be “taken down” and rebuilt. “I see the Secret Service looking, and I say, ‘What are you guys looking at?’ ‘Sir, we think the Oval Office should be taken down, and we’ll build a new one, sir,'” Trump told Time Magazine. He rejected the plan immediately, saying “My a–, you can’t build a new one. This is a special place.” The Secret Service has not publicly explained the reasoning behind the proposal.

Trump’s extensive Oval Office renovations

Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has transformed the Oval Office with gold accents throughout. Gold-colored appliqués cover the fireplace, gilded mirrors line the walls, and ornate Rococo-style dessert stands and flower vases from London and France sit on the mantle. Crown molding and decorative plaster on the ceiling are highlighted with gold paint. A cursive gold script sign reading “The Oval Office” was installed next to the West Wing entrance. “I picked it all myself,” Trump said last year. “I’m very proud of it.”

Push for federal landmark status

Trump told Time he wants to ensure his renovations cannot be altered by future presidents. “This beautiful room that nobody should be allowed to rip down,” he said. He has been asking Wiles for six months to provide a statement on whether the Oval Office will be saved as a federal landmark. Making the room a federal landmark would restrict any changes to its current state and protect Trump’s design choices from future administrations.

Broader White House construction projects

Trump’s renovation efforts extend far beyond the Oval Office. He demolished the East Wing to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom with five separate floors and what he calls “nuclear concrete” walls. He paved over the Rose Garden to create a Mar-a-Lago-style patio where he hosts dinners at what he calls the Rose Garden Club. He also replaced the Cabinet Room, added gold-framed photos of past presidents along the West Wing Walkway, and installed new dark granite flooring. Trump described the White House before his renovations as “a disgusting mess” and “a dump.”

Final Thoughts

Trump’s rejection of the Secret Service demolition plan and push for landmark status signal his determination to preserve his Oval Office design permanently. The move reflects his broader focus on controlling the physical details of the White House, even as his presidency faces external challenges beyond his direct influence.

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