Unlike his predecessor, who had a love of chaos government and whose assistants constantly faced, it seems likely that Biden will accept the book. Officials say its meetings are presented more traditionally, with a fixed list of attendees and usually an agenda.
But the opportunity that comes with choosing a workspace remains. And the value of real estate in the White House is even higher, given how many remote assistants work during the pandemic.
It’s not about whether the offices offer a majestic view of Washington, as many of the workspaces have little or no external views. Instead, the proximity to the Oval Office provides an unspoken nod to the hierarchy surrounding the president.
Office space can also be used to elevate a specific official or a matter that is critical to the president’s agenda. Biden placed Jeff Zients, his Covid Response Coordinator, in an office on the second floor, giving his role in combating the pandemic.
Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, senior advisers to Biden, who has long been a member of his inner circle, set up shop in small offices, just a short distance from the oval office and the president’s private dining room. They take over rooms that were once occupied by advisers like Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon during the Trump administration, David Axelrod during President Barack Obama and George Stephanopoulos when Bill Clinton was president.
Jennifer O’Malley Dillon and Bruce Reed, who serve as deputy chiefs of staff, also sit in the narrow niches with close access to the Oval Office.
Right outside the Oval Office are staff acting as Biden’s personal assistants and managing the room, including the “director of Oval Office operations” – a position once held by Trump’s former bodyguard.
In the other ‘corner offices’ on the first floor of the West Wing are the national security adviser and the press secretary. Both regularly attend meetings with the president.
Usually, their deputies and assistants would crowd out the desks outside their offices. Yet the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way the building is filled.
“Additional helpers work from home and use a variety of tools to stay in touch and get their work done,” a White House official told CNN.
The advice of the White House, the directors of the National Economic Council, the Office of Legislative Affairs and Domestic Policy is expected to be on the second floor of the West Wing, along with those waging the fight against the coronavirus.
Unlike in the Trump administration, no family members will hold formal roles or offices in the West Wing. And unlike in the Clinton administration, the first lady will not have a West Wing office. Jill Biden works from the traditional first lady in the eastern wing of the White House.
Some alumni of the Obama administration may think that the West Wing looks a little different than when they left four years ago. Under Trump, the carpets were swapped, walls painted and some of the hardware was refreshed early during a renovation. Air conditioning and heating systems were also replaced.
But the size of the space remained the same. Apart from the offices in the corners of the building, the workspaces are few and far between – especially for officials accustomed to wider conditions.