Trump signs order to stop future presidents removing his gold-covered Oval Office decor as judge blocks construction of 250ft 'Arc de Trump'

Donald Trump has declared his extravagant gold-covered Oval Office a national monument as he seeks to prevent future presidents from destroying it.The US leader has spent months redecorating his White House HQ, filling it with lavish gold accents, cherubs, statues and lining walls with gold-framed presidential portraits.But the billionaire property tycoon's Oval Office overhaul has been ridiculed in recent weeks, with Barack Obama gloating it looked like 'Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory'.In his first action since the Republican Party's bruising midterm election drubbing, a defiant Mr Trump signed an executive order protecting the room from being redecorated.Sitting behind the Resolute Desk, the US President declared: 'We're making it a national monument, and 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.'He added: 'If anyone ever decides to come and start knocking down walls, you'll call me wherever I may be, and I will come back here and I will make sure it never happens.'President Trump has become increasingly defensive of his decor changes after rivals poked fun at it during the run-up to the midterm elections.'I paid for it myself. I fixed it, and now it's more beautiful and in better shape,' he argued to reporters. President Trump signed and order to protect his gold-covered Oval Office from being changed The President (pictured with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Aug 2025) has spent months installing golden trinkets and designs into the White House room Before and after: Ukrainian leader President Zelensky, left, pictured with former President Joe Biden in the old Oval Office in Sept 2024, and again with President Trump in August 2025 He later rounded on Mr Obama, describing him as someone 'who doesn't understand cleanliness, who doesn't understand broken, cracked stone and sidewalk, who doesn't understand that having asphalt going to your main entrance is not the right thing'.But as the row continued, 80-year-old Mr Trump was dealt a blow to one of his other architectural ambitions, when a federal judge dramatically halted his plan to build a 250ft 'triumphal arch'.Officials had earlier green-lit the towering monument in Washington DC, dubbed the 'Arc de Trump' for its resemblance to Paris's Arc de Triomphe, on Thursday.Work could have started on it this week, according to officials in the Trump administration.Instead, Tanya Chutkan, an Obama-appointed district judge, stepped in and issued a 14-day temporary restraining order, banning any construction-related work from starting.The ruling came just hours after the National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 in favour of approving the project, following nine hours of fiery debate.The colossal structure, which could reportedly cost about $100million (£74.7million), is part of the President's plans to improve the capital.Trump appointees on the board insisted the arch would have been a fitting tribute, helping to mark the country's 250th anniversary. Pictured: What the 'Arc de Trump' is meant to look like But it has faced fierce criticism from Democrats and veterans, who feared it would block the view of Arlington National Cemetery, the resting place of thousands of US military personnel.Jared Huffman, a California Democratic Representative, branded the development a 'monstrosity' and said: 'The Great Gatsby party is over.'The judge's decision to temporarily halt any work on the arch has now thrown the entire project into doubt. It ignited a furious response from the White House, who criticised the federal court behind the decision, branding it an 'activist district court'.'We are confident we will be fully vindicated as this litigation proceeds and look forward to seeing the completion of this magnificent Arch,' a spokesman added..A rendering of the arc, released earlier this year, showed it towering over the Potomac River, on the other side to the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument.The Arc de Trump was to feature a golden, winged Lady Liberty statue on top of it, flanked by two gold eagles, designs showed. The phrases 'One Nation Under God' and 'Liberty and Justice for All' are inscribed in gold on either side of the arc.The monument was also to double as a complex to store military equipment and a potential base to house snipers and drone teams during major events in DC.