This photo of the White House in Washington, DC, was taken Nov. 8, 2016. On Inauguration Day, it’s supposed to feel like home when Donald Trump enters it for the first time as president. (Photo by PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS/AP)
WASHINGTON — On Inauguration Day, it’s supposed to feel like home when Donald Trump enters the White House residence for the first time as president.
His clothes will be hanging in the closet. The kitchen will be stocked with his favorite foods. Windows will have been washed, carpets cleaned, and fresh linens and towels will be in all the bedrooms and baths. No packed or half-empty boxes will be lying around.
The White House residence staff – nearly 100 butlers, maids, plumbers, electricians and others – will have just the hours between Trump’s swearing-in and the end of the inaugural parade to clear away all traces of President Barack Obama and his family and make the Trumps feel at home.
One former White House official compares the process to “organized chaos.” –Darlene Superville