Trump bars future presidents from altering Oval Office

Donald Trump signed an order on Thursday designating the Oval Office and adjoining Cabinet Room as national monuments, saying the move would prevent future presidents from altering or renovating them. The order came after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, a major defeat for Trump’s Republican Party. Trump has continued to showcase White House construction projects, including a new ballroom, amid criticism that he is neglecting voters’ concerns about the war in Iran and the rising cost of living.