Trump Alarmed Aides in Requesting Fragile Declaration of Independence Moved to Oval Office

According to The Atlantic, President Donald Trump brought up the idea of moving the Declaration of Independence into the Oval Office. The degree of selfishness behind moving such a document is hard to appreciate at first glance but it does become obvious. To be fair, we should set out right here that he is not insisting that the treasured document be moved at this point. But as to the request and how it went over – clearly, this is a nearly sacred artifact. Tens of thousands of Americans stream in through the National Archives day to day, month to month, every year, just to see it – take pictures, look at it in a way that is impossible outside its presence, perhaps really concentrate on what it meant at the time, maybe even now. Moving it to the Oval Office says “Mine!” The only takeaway would be that Trump believed it to be more important for him to have daily access to viewing the document than all other Americans. But that’s not even the most selfish consideration (debatable).

No. As one might suspect about anything jotted down over 250 years ago, the Declaration of Independence isn’t all that much hardier than the Dead Sea Scrolls and needs to be handled with extreme caution. Setting out the report from The Daily Beast:

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.

Yes, alarming would be the right response. There would be no way to hide the news. No way to hide the selfishness and self-centered nature of such a decision, and no way to hide that their boss must have been oblivious to the very basic fact. Thankfully…

 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.

The mugshot is a bit of an odd touch but okay. It is not my office and I don’t favor gold toilets, either – everyone has unique tastes. Whatever. The only decisions or desires that impact Americans are those that might shut off the opportunity to even “be around” history – literally an arm’s length or feet away. It can be awe-inspiring.

I didn’t see the inside of the Lincoln Memorial until age 30 and I think I was extremely lucky to have matured (somewhat) before experiencing it, and just lucky to get to be there at all. I know I wasn’t prepared. I anticipated that it would awe-inspiring, beautiful, and impressive. It was all those but much much more. I wasn’t prepared for the emotional hit, the depth, the overwhelming sense of history, all concentrated at one place, with one man’s speeches engraved into the walls, looking out toward a civic alter in the Mall and up to the Capitol – Lincoln, overseeing all of it. I will never forget the moment and it can still make hairs stand on end. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that some people feel just as overcome in the presence of the Declaration of Independence. Perhaps even more so.

For that reason – for the public availability, and then especially not running the needless risk of moving the document around, putting it through unknowns, just normal wear and tear in the air – we can all be really thankful that it appears as though they’ve agreed that it’s not something worth pursuing.

So, please – go see it. It is hard to predict your response. Sometimes it is unforgettable.

God Bless: I can be reached at [email protected] and on twitter-X at @JasonMiciak, and follow now on Bluesky. 

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