Trump seeks to demolish historic Treaty Room to install 12th White House bedroom

The Treaty Room, circa 2002, looking southwest: The president was using the old cabinet table as a desk (Photo: White House Historical Association)

President Donald Trump has bulldozed the East Wing of the White House, he's rebuilding the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, he wants to build a giant arch and now he's floating the idea of a new project in what is known as the Treaty Room in the historic mansion of the White House that is over 200 years old, The New York Times reported.

The Treaty Room sits next to the yellow oval room on the third floor, if the basement is counted as the first floor. It sits next to the yellow oval room, which connects to the president's sitting room, which in turn connects to the president's bedroom.

It became known as the "Treaty Room" after President John F. Kennedy signed the landmark Nuclear Test Ban Treaty there in 1963.

When built, the room was going to be another bedroom, but it was ultimately decided that it could serve as a private room for the president to hold meetings. The White House burned in 1814 and was rebuilt enough in 1817 that President James Monroe could move into it as projects continued. So, the room will celebrate its 210th birthday next year.

Several presidents used it as a Cabinet room, a personal office, and President George W. Bush used the office to announce the war in Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001, after the U.S. was attacked on Sept. 11.

Former first lady Lou Henry Hoover restored it to the way it looked during President James Monroe's era and put the desk there where he signed the Monroe Doctrine, the White House Historical Association describes. President Franklin Roosevelt further pursued efforts to restore it to its 1817 condition. Today, it looks more like a normal room where people can take informal meetings. President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama used it as a personal office while there.

Trump wants to turn it into a bedroom with an en suite.

The White House residence has 11 bedrooms, and all have en-suite bathrooms, and many have their own sitting rooms. There are already five bedrooms on that level of the White House residence. The top floor of the residence boasts six bedrooms all with en-suites.

The two floors of the White House residences have those bedrooms along with a game room, the east and west sitting halls, a gym, music room, a solarium, a small greenhouse, the linen room, cedar room, storage rooms, and a slew of offices. On the main floor, where the Treaty Room is located, there is the president's bedroom, bathroom, dressing room, and sitting room, the room known as the Queen's bedroom, sitting room, and bathroom. There is a living room, kitchen, dining room, cosmetics room, which is effectively a salon, and two other bedrooms with en-suites. Next to the Treaty Room is, the Lincoln Bedroom, which also has a sitting room and bathroom.

President Donald Trump doesn't have any children currently living in the White House, leaving 10 bedrooms and en-suites unused.

The State Floor is the first main floor of the White House mansion above the basement. It's where guests are generally received, and big events are held. He's already taken "previously unreported steps to redecorate and remodel the White House," the Times reported. However, several reporters have posted photos of the gold embellishments randomly pasted to the walls and large signs that indicate which rooms are which. Trump was mocked for the signs, with critics saying he needed directions.

Trump has already remade the Lincoln bathroom, putting marble on the walls. He's torn out the Jacqueline Kennedy Rose Garden, and it appears he has also removed one tree planted by President Joe Biden, according to photos and a White House garden map, and removed two large historic magnolia trees planted by Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Warren G. Harding. Trump had already removed the 150-year-old Jackson Magnolia in 2025 after it became unsafe due to age.

Over the past several months, the president has faced criticism after starting a war against Iran and being unable to fix the affordability crisis, polls show. Americans are deeply concerned about both.

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