Trump Displays Declaration Of Independence In Oval Office

President Donald Trump has placed a copy of the Declaration of Independence on display in the Oval Office after making a request to the National Archives, as seen in a video he posted Monday ahead of an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

“The National Archives delivered the Declaration of Independence to the White House at the President’s request. It is displayed in the Oval Office where it will be carefully protected and preserved,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement provided to The Hill.

Trump also posted an image on X showing himself pulling back a curtain in the Oval Office to reveal the framed document mounted on the wall.

The White House has not shared further information regarding the copy or the details of its loan, and The Hill reported that the National Archives did not immediately respond to inquiries.

While unveiling the display to Ingraham, who appeared surprised, Trump took the opportunity to criticize President Joe Biden. “Think Joe Biden would do this? I don’t think so. Do you think he’d think of it? Do you think he knows what it is?” he remarked.

The original Declaration of Independence has been housed at the National Archives on Constitutional Avenue in Washington, D.C., since 1952, though its text has faded over time. In contrast, the copy now showcased in the Oval Office appears “clear and legible,” according to The Associated Press.

Earlier this month, The Atlantic revealed that Trump had inquired with advisers about moving a historical copy of the Declaration into the Oval Office. Traditionally, the White House receives artwork and artifacts on loan from institutions like the Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery of Art, with pieces often rotating between different administrations.

Separately, Leavitt confirmed that Trump had been consulted by Israel prior to its airstrikes in Gaza on Monday.

“The Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelis on their attacks in Gaza tonight,” she stated during a Fox News interview.

Israel’s military launched its most intense airstrikes on Gaza since the ceasefire agreement with Hamas on January 19. Palestinian medical sources reported that the strikes resulted in dozens of casualties.

“As President Trump has made it clear – Hamas, the Houthis, Iran, all those who seek to terrorize not just Israel, but also the United States of America, will see a price to pay. All hell will break loose,” Leavitt told reporters.

Previously, Trump had issued a public warning using similar language, cautioning that Hamas must release all hostages in Gaza or face severe consequences.

Meanwhile, the administration stated that a new round of airstrikes Trump ordered against Houthi bases in Yemen on Saturday resulted in the deaths of dozens of militants. According to Houthi sources, at least 53 people were killed, though Reuters has not been able to verify these numbers independently.

In a separate political development, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized Trump’s stance on Russia and Ukraine this week, suggesting that the 47th president’s reluctance to hold Russia solely accountable for the war reflects a “gross misunderstanding of the nature of negotiations and leverage.”

As part of a statement marking the war’s third anniversary, McConnell placed full responsibility on Russian President Vladimir Putin for the ongoing “human catastrophe” and warned that even if Ukraine surrendered, “Putin’s aims would not stop with Kyiv.”

“Mistaking this fact is as embarrassing as it is costly,” McConnell said.