The White House, how presidents are moved within just six hours

2025-01-19 17:33:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

When Donald Trump is sworn in as the country's 47th president, a series of behind-the-scenes events will take place at the White House. For about six hours, the personal belongings of outgoing President Joe Biden and his family will be removed from the executive residence. Meanwhile, as VOA's Dora Mekouar reports, the private residence will be transformed into the home of the newly sworn-in president.

The moment Joe Biden leaves the Oval Office for the last time — usually on the morning of Inauguration Day — White House staffers spring into action. The familiar office must be reorganized, according to the tastes of the incoming president.

"How do you like the Oval Office to be furnished? What carpet? What curtains, what desk, etc., because this is the first area to be prepared," says Angella Reid, a former White House staffer.

Photos show that President Biden changed the carpet and some chairs in 2017, after taking over from Donald Trump — who is both his predecessor and successor. But it appears that the couches and curtains have remained the same. The president's family lives on the second and third floors of the White House.

Before moving day, the incoming president and first lady select the furniture and artwork they want from the White House collection. By the time the new president arrives home on Inauguration Day, he finds the furniture set up, along with personal photos.

"When the new president and first lady walk in, they find their favorite shampoo in the shower. They have their toothbrush, toothpaste, their clothes hanging in the closet," says Kate Andersen Brower, author of the book "The Residence." It all happens in less than six hours and involves about a hundred White House staff.

"It's not done by professionals from a private firm. It's the residence staff that does it. So everyone helps out, and these are not people who are trained in relocation. They don't hire professionals because of security concerns," says Ms. Brower. Many of the White House residence staff worked for Donald Trump during his first term from January 2017 to January 2021.

"So the employees really liked Donald Trump because he's used to having people around to serve him, and he even gave them tips in cash, in 20s and 50s, and they appreciate that. They're not political people. They just care about how the president treats them," says Ms. Brower.

President Barack Obama hired Angela Reid as White House chief of staff in 2011. She oversaw moving day in January 2017, when the Obama family left and the Trump family moved in.

"We used the term 'organized chaos,' but it's actually a very coordinated operation. There are several rehearsals for the day; everyone is anxiously awaiting the moment," says Ms. Reid. There were some problems, such as only one elevator being used.

"The elevator wasn't being used to its full capacity. I fixed that and we gained an hour. There were times, for example, when the mattress assigned to a room wasn't the right size," says Ms. Reid. But the main challenge is always the time constraint. And there are only about six hours to get everything ready to welcome the new presidential family to their new home. /VOA