Donald 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
Donald Trump has spent almost two years changing the Oval Office into a room filled with gold decorations. But after Republicans suffered major losses in the US midterm elections, the president has made a new move that could affect what future presidents are allowed to do inside the White House.
The election results saw Democrats take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, dealing a major blow to Trump’s Republican Party.
Many voters were unhappy about the economy, the rising cost of living and the direction of the country. The results were widely seen as a serious setback for Trump’s leadership.
Despite the losses, Trump has made it clear that he remains in charge of the country.
Shortly after the election, the White House shared a photograph of Trump leaning over his desk in the Oval Office.
The photograph came with a message that read, “PSA: TRUMP IS STILL YOUR PRESIDENT.”
The caption also said, “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
However, Trump did not stop there. As Democrats prepared to use their new power in Congress, he made another announcement about the Oval Office and the changes he has made to it.
According to Newsweek, Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday, November 5, seeking to make the Oval Office and Cabinet Room national monuments.
The president said the decision was intended to protect the historic rooms and prevent future administrations from making major changes without approval.
Speaking to reporters inside the Oval Office, Trump said the rooms would not be allowed to be changed by anyone without proper permission.
He explained that any major changes would need approval from Congress.
Trump even gave an example of what this could mean. He suggested that if a future president wanted to change the shape of the Oval Office from round to square, Congress would first have to approve the plan.
However, there is something important about the announcement that could disappoint Trump.
Although the proclamation is intended to protect the historic rooms from major changes, it does not necessarily mean that his expensive-looking gold decorations must remain there forever.
Trump himself admitted that future presidents could remove the gold decorations, paintings and other items he has installed, as long as they do so carefully.
This means that the next president could still decide to give the Oval Office a completely different appearance.
There are also questions about whether Trump’s proclamation would provide any additional legal protection.
The White House already has National Historic Landmark status, which recognises its historical importance.
Legal questions remain about whether the new proclamation could prevent future presidents from making changes to the building.
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has spent considerable time changing the appearance of the Oval Office.
He has added gold decorations, large mirrors, golden eagles, decorative picture frames and other expensive-looking items.
The changes have given the room a similar appearance to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, which is known for its luxurious decorations.
Trump also brought in Florida cabinetmaker John Icart to help create the appearance he wanted.
Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previously praised the changes, describing the room as a “golden office for the golden age.”
However, not everyone has been impressed with the new look.
Some critics believe Trump has gone too far with the decorations, arguing that the Oval Office should maintain a more traditional appearance.
In August 2025, a photograph showing Trump entering the Oval Office attracted attention online.
Social media users noticed the large amount of gold decoration around the doorway, with some comparing the design to items that could be bought from a craft shop.
Another controversy followed when people noticed a tube of Krazy Glue sitting on the famous Resolute Desk.
The discovery brought fresh attention to claims by journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan that Trump had personally used glue to attach decorations around the fireplace.
Former President Barack Obama also made fun of the changes during a campaign rally in Cleveland in October 2026.
Obama joked that Trump had made the White House look like Saddam Hussein had opened a Cheesecake Factory.
His comment attracted attention because of the unusual comparison between Trump’s decorations and the luxurious buildings associated with the former Iraqi leader.
Following Trump’s latest announcement, social media users once again began discussing the appearance of the Oval Office.
One person suggested that Trump was trying to make sure nobody could remove his gold decorations after he left office.
Another questioned why the president appeared so concerned about what future presidents might do with the room.
Some people joked that the decorations would be removed almost immediately after Trump left the White House.
Others argued that the proclamation would not stop another president from changing the room if they wanted to.
One commenter wrote that Trump’s efforts to protect the design would probably last only a few minutes after his presidency ended.
The announcement comes as Trump continues to push ahead with other changes around Washington.
These include plans for a large new White House ballroom and proposed changes involving the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
His renovation projects have attracted both praise and criticism, with supporters welcoming his efforts to improve the appearance of important buildings while opponents question his priorities.
For Trump, the Oval Office appears to be more than just a place where presidential decisions are made. He has spent months turning it into a room that reflects his personal taste.
But the recent election results mean that he will now have to deal with a Congress controlled by Democrats, who could challenge many of his plans.
Although Trump remains president, his party’s election losses have changed the political situation in Washington.
The biggest question now is whether his latest proclamation will have any lasting effect.
It remains unclear whether future presidents will face meaningful legal restrictions when making changes to the Oval Office.
What is clear, however, is that Trump’s gold decorations are not guaranteed to remain in place after he leaves office.
The next president could decide to remove them and return the Oval Office to a more traditional appearance.
🚨 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… pic.twitter.com/Bw3z5OaJIL— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 5, 2026
For now, Trump is determined to protect the changes he has made. But despite his latest announcement, the final decision about the future appearance of the Oval Office may still rest with whoever becomes president after him.
