’Twas the night before the inauguration, when all through the White House, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
As the nation prepared for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, members of the current administration moved out of the White House, leaving the property largely unoccupied Thursday night.
The Washington Post’s David Nakamura documented what he described as a “ghostly” quiet around the house. His photos show empty picture frames along the hallways and sparsely filled offices.
According to CBS News, as Trump takes his oath Friday to become the next president of the United States, a massive transformation occurs at the White House as roughly 100 staffers make over the residence for the new first family. They have mere hours to complete the monumental task. New photos will be framed, new furniture will move in, clothes will be put away.
Moving trucks for both families are staged nearby, and staffers work feverishly to fill one set of trucks while emptying the others. By the time the new first family returns from the Inauguration parade, the White House should feel like their home, Anita McBride, who was chief of staff to first lady Laura Bush, told the New York Daily News.
Plans for making over the Oval Office and residential quarters of the White House have been underway for months, though details about the changes are sparse. Trump’s wife, Melania, will remain in New York City for the first few months after he takes office so their 10-year-old son, Barron, can finish his school year in Manhattan.
