But like most Trump administration, this January 20 will not be very traditional.
That includes $ 127,000 for what one government order calls “2021 Inaugural Cleaning,” offered to Didlake, a Virginia-based company that employs people with disabilities for work, including housekeeping and household services. It stands apart from a $ 44,000 order for carpet cleaning and the $ 115,000 purchase agreement for ‘2021 presidential inauguration and replacement and installation of carpet carpet to rectify the current floor condition of selected interior floors for various offices’ in the East Wing , West Wing and Executive Office. Built according to the description.
In the traditional administration changes, most of the cleaning, although thorough, is done mainly by White House staff – domestic helpers, butchers, caretakers – and maintenance, such as electrical repairs and small maintenance work completed by the White House workers, of which there are usually 90 to 100 in rolls ranging from pastry cooks to florists to plumbers.
However, Biden’s incoming government this time wanted to ensure that 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which was a hotspot of at least three Covid-19 outbreaks, gets the kind of uproar that a pandemic deserves, according to a White House official. who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity.
“The idea that they would just move in seems unlikely,” said the official, who was not aware of the specific contract numbers, but did say that additional measures were taken after the Trumps left the White House.
The big day
“People tend to forget how big this building is,” the official said; the White House is about 55,000 square feet.
The Biden transition team did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment on the additional cleaning contracts.
Additional initial cleaning contracts, made through the public service within the General Service Administration, include more than $ 29,000 to clean the curtains in the East Wing, West Wing and Eisenhower Executive Office buildings, and $ 53,000 for paint and wall coverings.
Usually, the time window on Inauguration Day is not enough to update paint and wallpaper around the house, but because there is more time now, thanks to the Trumps’ early departure on January 19, the walls will be refreshed. A $ 37,975 contract has been awarded to a Annapolis, Maryland company for garbage removal and recycling, “according to the extent of the work associated with the inauguration in 2021.”
Another $ 50,000 was contracted for overtime pay for the movers.
Melania Trump is already making moves
Despite the national turmoil, two sources confirm to CNN that her attention has been focused on her photo album collection, a hobby she has maintained for more than a decade, making great, leather-bound albums with the dates and events of each of the content.
One of the sources who knows her penchant for photo albums said that the first lady used the services of her official White House photographer Andrea Hanks to help her complete the personal projects. Hanks is a civil servant and her request for overtime bothered colleagues in the White House’s photo office.
The East Wing did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment.
Bidens move in
Meanwhile, the Biden transition team has already made contact with Timothy Harleth, the head of the White House, two sources told CNN. Harleth was appointed by Melania Trump in June 2017; he previously worked at the Trump International Hotel Washington as a room manager. One White House source said Harleth was secretly helping the Biden team navigate the withdrawal process, as the tradition of the current first lady welcoming the incoming first lady had never taken place under Trump – Melania Trump should not reach out to Jill Biden yet .
As such, there is no communication between staff from the two opposite sides, where previous administrations, even those on either side of the political path, have now had long and in-depth discussions on moving logistics.
For example, it is not clear whether the moving trucks of the Biden family will be allowed to bring the elected president’s beloved peloton from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, to the White House residence. The freestanding bikes usually have video cameras that can connect to the internet, which can be one of few small brackets.
Former president’s high-tech devices usually required security checks and adjustments – especially when connected to the Internet or cellular networks. The Washington Post reported in February 2019 that Trump had installed a $ 50,000 golf simulator in the White House, replacing a less sophisticated simulator with President Barack Obama. At the time, the price for TrackMan’s fully-featured Trump simulator, which has golf simulators at several Trump properties, started at about $ 50,000.
High-quality simulators like TrackMan’s often connect to the Internet and have sensors or cameras. Emails from the US Secret Service obtained by CNN through the Freedom of Information Act show that agency personnel, including a protection detail liaison for the Technical Security Division of the Secret Service, in the months ‘notes’ and ‘technical information’ ‘swapped on the TrackMan golf simulator. before the reported installation thereof.
Previous presidents have not had such high-tech problems. President George W. Bush has requested that exercise equipment, including an elliptical machine and dumbbells, be installed in a cabana staircase from the Oval Office, and that a folding treadmill be placed aboard Air Force One. Old school enough not to hoist security flags.
No word on whether Biden’s Peloton will get the same investigation.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.