President Donald Trump has expressed interest in displaying a copy of the Declaration of Independence in the Oval Office. However, before settling on a copy, he initially asked aides if they could acquire the original document, The Atlantic reported on Thursday.
“Trump’s request alarmed some of his aides, who immediately recognized both the implausibility and expense of moving the original document,” wrote Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer. The original Declaration of Independence, nearly 250 years old, is one of the most valuable historical documents in the United States.
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It is displayed at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., under strict preservation measures. The document is housed behind thick glass in an oxygen-free, argon-filled case and retracts into a secure vault each night. Due to its fragile condition, the room remains dimly lit, and access is tightly restricted to prevent further deterioration.
Trump now appears to be considering a historical copy instead. The copies, produced in the 1820s by engraver William J. Stone at the request of then-Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, were made to ensure the document’s longevity. While still rare and valuable, these copies are far easier to obtain and are the most commonly recognized version seen in history books.
“Displaying a copy would still enshrine history’s most famous written rejection of monarchy in the seat of American power,” Parker and Scherer wrote. “The document is reprinted in school textbooks nationwide and is recognized the world over as a defiant stand against the corrupting dangers of absolute power.
It declares equality among men a self-evident truth, asserts that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed, and offers a litany of grievances against a despotic ruler.” The decision to showcase the document comes as Trump continues efforts to reshape the federal government, reinforcing executive authority.
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His administration has sought to expand presidential power, including making financial decisions typically controlled by Congress and taking legal action against critical press coverage. While securing the original Declaration remains impossible, a historical reproduction may soon find its place in the Oval Office as a symbolic statement of governance and national history.
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