WASHINGTON (AP) — “I know where I will go. I know the rooms where we will live. I know the process”, recently emphasized Melania Trump about the moving process that she and her husband will undertake this Monday, January 20. She described her first move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 2017 as “challenging.”
Regardless of who the president is, the whole process also represents a challenge for the White House residence staff: the maids, butlers, and others who take care of the president's private living space have about five hours on Inauguration Day to clear out one first family and accommodate the next.
How will Donald Trump's second move to the White House be?
For the second time in its history, Trump will move into the official residence of the United States presidents.
“Everything needs to be planned down to the minute,” stated Melania Trump on the Fox News program "Fox & Friends."
The clock starts running when the outgoing and incoming president leave the White House together for a shared limousine trip to the Capitol for the inauguration.
“As soon as they leave, the staff of the executive residence springs into action,” explained Matthew Costello, director of education at the White House Historical Association, during a recent online program on the history of Inauguration Day. “Essentially, the staff works non-stop to inventory, process, and move all the personal items of a first family and bring in those of the new one.”
After the swearing-in ceremony, the inaugural speech, the lunch, and the traditional parade, the new president can enter the White House to find his clothes, furniture, and other personal items in place and the kitchen stocked with favorite foods.
As the ceremony begins, the moving trucks of each family that have been waiting nearby will be given the green light to pass through strict security towards the White House.
The staff at the residence works in groups. Some will be assigned to pack the remaining items of the Biden family while another group loads the boxes onto the designated truck. A different group of employees will carry the belongings of the Trumps, and at the same time, part of the staff unpacks and places them where Melania Trump wants them.
The White House is thoroughly cleaned. The windows will be washed, the carpets will be vacuumed or replaced, new mattresses will be brought in, and all rooms and bathrooms will be equipped with fresh bedding and towels.
The process typically begins after the November election when the White House chief usher contacts the president-elect's team to start coordinating the move.
Was there coordination between Melania Trump and Jill Biden?
After Trump lost the reelection in 2020, he broke with tradition and refused to invite then President-elect Joe Biden to meet. Melania Trump also did not invite Jill Biden to the residence.
This time, Trump accepted Biden’s invitation to the Oval Office while Melania Trump rejected Jill Biden’s offer to meet.