The White House has also undergone a makeover after U.S. President Donald Trump took office on Tuesday (local time). Trump moved his family’s luggage and replaced some of his appliances to reflect his new owner’s taste.
According to ABC News, “movement” usually begins in earnest when the former president and his wife leave the White House together to attend the inauguration ceremony. The work should be completed by 3:30 p.m. when the new president’s family returns to the White House after the inauguration. Foreign media reported that it is a urgent task with only about five hours to spare. The president’s family usually moves to fill up furniture, personal belongings, and clothes, and all luggage are escorted by security authorities. For security reasons, no external carriers are used in the process of moving. Although she did not move her luggage herself, moving is also a tough task for the First Family. “The second one is much easier,” Melania said on a recent Fox News talk show, recalling that her first move in 2017 was a difficult task.
The change of the Oval Office is drawing the most attention. Foreign media reported that President Trump removed the large-scale portrait of former President Franklin Roosevelt and hung the portrait of former President Andrew Jackson instead. Trump, who often showed his affection for former President Jackson, a war hero, hung his portrait during his first term in office. The bust of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and flags of various branches of the military that Biden removed were also returned to his office. A “diet coke button” was installed on the desk that President Trump pressed whenever he wanted to drink coke during his first term in office. The carpet that was laid in the office during his first term in office was also installed again. The carpet was first used by former President Ronald Reagan, and was reportedly disassembled to install the carpet for the purpose of installing the “determined desk” (a desk exclusively for U.S. presidents of the United States). The Wall Street Journal reported that “All the time, U.S. presidents choose artworks and relics that emphasize the values they seek and the policy goals of the administration,” adding that the office is a symbol of a regime change.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
