President Donald Trump recently pitched moving the Declaration of Independence into the Oval Office, according to The Atlantic. Citing sources familiar with the conversations who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the magazine reported that Trump floated the idea to his advisers, who were “alarmed” and raised some red flags. The original document is displayed in the rotunda at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., where it’s kept in an oxygen-free, argon-filled glass case and kept protected by restrictions—like how often doors can be opened, to control for light exposure. The fragile nature of the document and its strict protection protocols initially put off some of the president’s aides from the idea, though it appears further discussions have settled on possibly moving the historical copies of the document and not the original piece itself. “President Trump strongly believes that significant and historic documents that celebrate American history should be shared and put on display,” White House spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Atlantic in an email. Trump has been sprucing up the Oval Office since assuming his second term, adding a framed photo of his Georgia mugshot in a nearby hallway.
