WASHINGTON – This was the culmination of the transfer of power: President Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, walked up the ramp to their new home late Wednesday, climbing the stairs to North Portico, as military orchestras waved to the crowd. play “Greet the Chief”, turn to the inside – and come face to face with a closed door.
As the world watches and a small crowd of Biden family members rise up behind them, the first couple waits.
Was the president supposed to open the few large wooden doors himself? Did former President Donald J. Trump, who left eight hours earlier, exclude him?
Soon enough, the doors are swung open, and the Prayers enter. The awkward moment lasted only a few seconds – about ten, if you were to do so, but it did not go unnoticed in Washington.
“There was a violation of the protocol when the front door was not kept open for the first family when they arrived at the North Port,” said Lea Berman, who served as president of the White House for President George W. Bush.
“The delay in opening the door spurred me on a bit,” said Betty Monkman, who has been a White House curator for 30 years and has helped oversee changes between previous administrations.
The offense appears to be a small but curious disorder in the chaotic two-and-a-half months between election day and inauguration day. Nothing was normal in the transition from Trump to the Biden administration, and transferring the White House to new residents was no exception.
For one, there were no chiefs to greet the Bidens when they arrived there. Although it is not clear exactly what caused the delay in the doors – which are normally opened by marine guards – the chief shepherd of the White House, who runs the residence, was fired less than five hours earlier.
Timothy Harleth, Trumps general and former room manager of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, was moving furniture on Inauguration Day when he was told at 11:30 a.m. that his services were no longer needed, people familiar with is with the process. said.
According to a person familiar with the process, the council of the incoming president on Wednesday called the advice of the White House and said the Bidens plan to bring in their own person. The departure of mr. Harleth was first reported by CNN.
Mr. Harleth was elected by Melania Trump in 2017 when she was first lady. His duties included handling staffing issues and overseeing the budgets for the family home.
“He was selected because of his impressive work history and management skills,” said Ms. Trump said in 2017.
Traditionally, the job was non-political, but Ms. Trump’s decision to hire an employee of the Trump Organization added the role biased, although Mr. Harleth tries to outline his work there as one stop in a long career in the hospitality industry. The work in the White House has been well paid – former chief executives estimate salaries are in the region of $ 200,000 – but the days are long, especially if the president is an early riser or a night owl; Mr. Trump was both. (Mr. Biden is not a morning person, say people familiar with his schedule.)
Since election day, Mr. Harleth finds himself in an untenable position: he tried to start preparations for a new resident in the White House, even though the resident did not want to admit that he would leave the premises. Mr. Trump has never been like the tradition with Mr. Praying in the White House does not meet. Mrs. Trump also never met dr. Biden invited to go and look at the residence before the move-in day.
Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff of the White House, was unhappy with Mr. Harleth because he wanted to send information books about the home to the Biden transition team in November, people familiar with the process said. A spokesman for Mr. Meadows did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for dr. Biden also did not respond to a request for comment.
It is not clear who dr. Biden will not choose to replace Harleth, although there are several deputy chiefs who are reportedly still in their roles.
“It was an honor to serve as chief shepherd, a position that is not faithful to a specific president, but rather to the institution of the presidency,” Harleth said in a statement. “I am proud to have had the opportunity to lead the residence staff to receive the incoming first family with the utmost respect and dignity, not only for this government, but also for the future success of the office of president.”