Trump discusses White House and Oval Office renovations in Time interview
In a Time interview published 1 October 2026, President Trump defended his White House renovations, said the Secret Service suggested rebuilding the Oval Office, and said he wants it made a federal landmark.
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The story, neutrally told
President Donald Trump defended his renovations of the White House in a lengthy interview with Time magazine published Thursday 1 October 2026. Raw StoryL “told Time magazine reporters in a lengthy interview published Thursday” Read at Raw Story ↗ New York PostR “President Trump defended his White House renovations during a time of economic turmoil” Read at New York Post ↗ He said the Secret Service suggested demolishing the Oval Office and building a new one, and that he refused, calling the room "a special place". The New York Post says he did not explain why the Secret Service wanted this. Raw Story says the White House declined to comment further and the Secret Service did not immediately respond. New York PostR ““Sir, we think the Oval Office should be taken down, and we’ll build a new one, sir.’ I said, ‘My a–, you can’t build a new one. This is a special place,’”” Read at New York Post ↗ Raw StoryL “The White House declined to comment further, and the Secret Service did not immediately respond to questions about the president's account.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Trump said he has been asking chief of staff Susie Wiles for about six months about making the Oval Office a federal or national historic landmark. Raw Story reports he said such a designation could protect the room from demolition and preserve his changes, and notes the White House already holds National Historic Landmark status but Congress exempted it from the National Historic Preservation Act. Raw StoryL “"I've been asking Susie for six months to give me a statement. Will we save this room? Will we make it a federal landmark?"”“Congress exempted it from the National Historic Preservation Act” Read at Raw Story ↗ New York PostR “the possibility of making the presidential office a national historic landmark” Read at New York Post ↗
Defending the work more broadly, Trump called the building "a disgraceful dump" with falling doors, broken locks and leaks, and said: "I made it beautiful." The Post says the interview lasted 75 minutes and that he had an aide fetch old photos to show where repairs were needed. New York PostR ““It was just a disgraceful dump. The doors were falling off. The locks were broken.”“during the 75-minute interview, at one point having an aide fetch old photos of the White House” Read at New York Post ↗ The Post lists his other projects: a Rose Garden turned into a Mar-a-Lago-style patio, a colonnade remade as the Presidential Walk of Fame, a granite helipad on the South Lawn, and a 90,000 square foot ballroom replacing the demolished East Wing. It reports the ballroom, said to cost $400 million, was paid for by private donations and is expected to be finished in August 2027. The helipad's $10 million cost was covered by Lockheed Martin. New York PostR “the president tore down the East Wing to replace it with a 90,000 square foot ballroom”“The $400 million ballroom was paid for by private donations and the $10 million cost of the helipad was covered by Lockheed Martin” Read at New York Post ↗ Legal disputes continue: the National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued over the ballroom, though the Supreme Court said work could continue while the case proceeds. Trump also declined to rule out tearing down the Kennedy Center, which is the subject of a separate lawsuit, saying "I'm not committing to anything" and that the administration should be recognized if he builds there. New York PostR “The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued over the ballroom construction but the Supreme Court said work could continue”““I’m not committing to anything. We’re going to see how it plays out in court,” the president said.” Read at New York Post ↗
Raw Story, which also describes Trump as having filled the Oval Office with gold decor, says he was asked whether his successor could change the gilded decor if the room were designated a federal landmark. The excerpt available does not give his answer. Raw StoryL “Trump was asked whether his predecessor would be allowed to change his gilded decor if the Oval Office was designated as a federal landmark.”“Trump has filled it with gold decor as part of a broader overhaul of the White House.” Read at Raw Story ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Frames the interview as Trump seeking to entrench his Oval Office changes for future presidents, with attention to legal context and the lack of Secret Service response.
- Emphasis
- The landmark designation, the exemption from the National Historic Preservation Act, and the gold decor.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits the ballroom, helipad, Kennedy Center and funding details covered by the Post.
- Charged language
- “gilded Oval Office makeover”
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Leads with Trump's defence of the renovations as fixing a decayed building, relaying his claims about private funding and his building skills.
- Emphasis
- Trump's own quotes, the scope of the projects, and that taxpayers are not paying.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the exemption of the White House from the National Historic Preservation Act or the point that a landmark designation could lock in his decor.
- Charged language
- “Trump ranted”“the most ambitious and controversial project”
- For example
-
“The place was in terrible shape. I made it beautiful,” — New York Post
“The president has also justified his renovation work by insisting that US taxpayers are not on the hook for the costs.” — New York Post
What every side reports
- Trump gave Time magazine an interview about his White House renovations, published 1 October 2026.
- Trump said the Secret Service suggested taking down and rebuilding the Oval Office and that he refused.
- Trump said he has asked chief of staff Susie Wiles about making the Oval Office a landmark.
- The Oval Office has been decorated with gold.
Where accounts differ
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What the landmark idea means
- Left
- Raw Story presents it as a move that would lock in his gilded makeover against changes by future presidents.
- Right
- The New York Post mentions it briefly as a question he put to Wiles and gives it little weight.
Donald Trump person
Says the White House was in dangerous disrepair, that he fixes things better than anyone, that private money pays for much of the work, and that he wants the Oval Office protected as a landmark.
““It’s actually dangerous. People are walking under, crap was falling off it all the time.” — New York Post
“Will we make it a federal landmark?” — Raw Story
Time magazine organisation
Published the lengthy interview, which both outlets use as their source for Trump's remarks.
“told Time magazine reporters in a lengthy interview published Thursday” — Raw Story
“the president told Time magazine of his work” — New York Post
Left1 article
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Trump eyes move that would lock in his gilded Oval Office makeover for future presidents
Critical Presents the landmark idea as an attempt to lock in Trump's gilded decor, with legal context on preservation law.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
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Trump defends his White House renovations: ‘I made it beautiful’
Mixed Relays Trump's defence and funding claims at length, while noting the lawsuits and describing the ballroom as controversial and Trump as having "ranted".
- 1 Oct 18:42 First Raw StoryL Trump eyes move that would lock in his gilded Oval Office makeover for future presidents
- 1 Oct 18:45 +3m New York PostR Trump defends his White House renovations: ‘I made it beautiful’
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.