News
When Will Donald Trump Move In To The White House?
Although millions across the country are still protesting the results of the election, the logistical reality of the new president-elect's administration is starting to set in. In just a little over two months, Trump will be sworn in to the office, and get all the perks along with it, including residency in the most famous house in America. When will Donald Trump move in to the White House? The house is his on January 20, but he's reportedly trying to avoid it as much as possible.
On January 20, it's Trump's fiscal and logistical responsibility to get all his personal items to the White House grounds. Once all his stuff is at the White House, the Chief Usher is in charge of putting it where the Trumps specified during a meeting beforehand. According to Slate, the Inauguration Day move-in process usually takes about six hours and begins the second the outgoing president and president-elect head out to the Congress building for the ceremony. The 93-person White House residence staff moves the old president's stuff out at the same time as they move the new president in, and the whole process is completely taken care of in one day. If only moving were always that easy.
However, Trump is apparently trying to avoid the move as much as possible. According to New Yorker magazine, the new president-elect is hoping to spend as much time in his beloved New York penthouse apartment as possible. The opulence of Trump's apartment, which features 18th century French detailing, 24 karat gold and marble accents, and views of Central Park, probably can't be beat by the humble White House. Obviously, he'll have to spend a certain amount of business time in the White House, which doubles as home and office, but he can theoretically choose where to spend his weekends.
If Trump does end up hanging out in New York a lot, it could mean big trouble for the logistics of the city. Although Trump Tower will be heavily guarded year-round, security has to increase exponentially when the Commander-in-Chief is in town, if that's going to be frequent, midtown Manhattan could have some serious issues. CNN reported that although New York City zoning rules require that the space in front of Trump Tower remain open to the public, Secret Service officials have brought up the idea of shutting down all driving on Fifth Avenue. The street is one of the biggest thoroughfares in the city, and closing driving could make the city's notorious traffic a lot worse.
Although Trump may spend less time in the White House than previous presidents, it won't be the first political tradition that he breaks. Trump's unprecedented ties to the business world may also be facilitated by him spending more time in New York, which could help him accomplish some of his campaign promises. Of course, the United States should know by now to expect the unexpected from Trump, so maybe he'll end up living in Sweden instead.