President Trump says he prevented the demolition of the Oval Office — The Hill

US President Donald Trump said that he did not allow the Oval Office in the White House to be demolished. According to him, US Secret Service personnel proposed dismantling the room and building a new one. The Hill reports this, citing Trump’s interview with Time magazine.

Conversation with the Secret Service

Trump said that he saw Secret Service agents inspecting the Oval Office and asked them what they were doing. In response, according to his version, he was told that the office should be demolished and a new one built. The president said he did not agree, calling the room a special place that cannot be recreated.

He also said that he is considering granting the Oval Office federal landmark status. According to Trump, for six months he had asked White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to prepare a statement on preserving the room.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Changes at the White House

According to The Hill, in October 2025 Trump demolished the East Wing of the White House to make room for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. He also paved over the Rose Garden, installing tables and chairs there, and renovated the Palm Room.

Among other changes, the publication lists portraits of former presidents in gold frames along the West Wing passageway and colonnade, new dark granite flooring, changes to the Cabinet Room, flags on the North and South Lawns, and a helipad. In the interview, Trump called the White House a symbol of America and said that he decided to renovate it.