"He just wants to go home." Melania Trump is eager to leave the White House, says a report. But what about after?
In mid-November, as President Donald Trump lashed out at the election results, his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, publicly agreed with his sentiments. But privately, a few days after the final state recount, the first lady commissioned an emissary to quietly find out what was available to her in terms of budget and staffing for life after the White House.
While the president is busy looking for a way to stay in the White House, the first lady is determining what to keep, what goes to Trump's cellars in New York City, and what should be labeled for shipment to Mar-a-Lago. in Palm Beach, Florida.
"She just wants to go home," said another source familiar with Melania Trump's mood. When asked how the first lady feels about rumors that her husband could announce a candidacy for 2024, the source added: "That might not go well."
The first lady quietly brought Marcia Lee Kelly to her meager east wing staff in April as a special government employee who could add seriousness and experience. She is unpaid and volunteers, but her work as Trump's special adviser came in handy during the final months of her first term.
Kelly had previously headed the White House Administration Office and after it became clear that Trump would need to prepare for his life after Washington, the first lady told Kelly to discreetly ask acquaintances in the West Wing and a member of the the Office of Management and Budget whether there were taxpayer funds allocated to former first ladies, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
The short answer is no. While there are post-presidential benefits for such things for the outgoing commander-in-chief, budgets to set up an official office and staff, and cover some travel costs, there is nothing from the government for any first lady except a paltry $ 20,000 annual pension. They are paid only if your husband dies.
The information Kelly collected on the budget, which does not exist, has not deterred Melania Trump from devoting her energies to leaving Washington. Based on discussions with three family sources, an inventory of Trump's furniture, art and personal items is currently underway at the White House.
And the first lady is very focused on her legacy lately. One thing Trump is considering is a book, although it probably won't be memoirs, the post-White House writing of which is a tradition most first ladies have adhered to. Michelle Obama's memoir, "Becoming," and Laura Bush's memoir, "Spoken from the Heart," were huge bestsellers.
Instead, Trump is said to be deciding between writing a photo-centric coffee table book on the history of White House hospitality, or one perhaps focusing on the design projects he completed while he was first lady, according to a source. of the publishing industry familiar with the preliminary discussions. Trump has also reportedly done one of the last things most first ladies do before leaving office: select the administration's official dinner service.
“Mrs. Trump is focused on her role as first lady. On Monday, she revealed her most current effort to preserve the White House by announcing the completion of the tennis pavilion. It also recently revealed a new piece of art in the recently renovated Rose Garden. Your office just revealed this year's Christmas decorations. Her schedule remains full of duties as a mother, wife and first lady of the United States, "the first lady's chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, told CNN.
A smooth transition
Melania Trump is now focused on Mar-a-Lago, a source said, ensuring a smooth transition out of Washington for her and her 14-year-old son, Barron, who a source confirms will finish her school year in Florida and not in the posh suburban Maryland private school he has attended for the past three years. While Trump has yet to relent, Melania Trump is already overseeing shipments of personal items to Mar-a-Lago from the White House and her Trump Tower penthouse in New York City, a source from the complex confirms to CNN. .
Tham Kannalikham, the interior decorator Trump hired in 2017 to redesign the personal rooms of the White House executive residence when they moved in, has for the past few weeks been focused on Trump's "house" in Mar-a-Lago, said a source. That includes overseeing the paint, new textiles, and assisting in an aesthetic makeover for the space that will now be the family's permanent residence.
Minor restroom renovations are underway as well, although nothing major can be built on the property without a grueling permitting process as Mar-a-Lago is a National Historic Landmark and permission from the city council to altering the facade or adding an addition is unlikely. The minor updates were planned and launched before the election, according to a source.
For a family used to living in a multi-story penthouse in Manhattan, as reflected in Trump's Trump Tower residence, they are going to downsize considerably to reside in Mar-a-Lago, which is part of the reason why the The first lady is now adjusting the private rooms, where, as in the White House, she has her own en-suite bedroom and dressing room. The Mar-a-Lago abode encapsulates approximately 278 square meters of the property's main building, a generous proportion for many families, but a relative study after living in the 5,000-square-meter White House mansion.
President Donald Trump's beach front Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
President Donald Trump's beachfront at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
"It will feel like staying full time in a nice hotel," said Laurence Leamer, author of "Mar-a-Lago: Inside the Gates of Power at Donald Trump's Presidential Palace." Okay for a while, sure, but can you imagine Donald Trump just sitting there for six months out of the year? You will start to feel limited very quickly.
Not to mention the constant stream of club members who will essentially walk through the former president's front door every time they stroll from the pool to the dining room, or from the spa to the patio.
"It will be the strangest thing," said Leamer, who suggests that if Trump is as wealthy as he claims to be, he should close the club and keep the entire mansion as his home.
A source with knowledge of preparations for Trump's arrival in January said that there is currently "a really extensive Secret Service presence now" in Mar-a-Lago, as security elements are being evaluated for the long-term protection of Trump.
Melania Trump sees Mar-a-Lago as a peaceful respite from sun, solitude and personal care.
"Her parents also have a suite of rooms there, not far from the family outbuildings," said Leamer, who has spent a lot of time in Mar-a-Lago as a guest of several members. Viktor and Amalija Knavs, Melania's parents, stay in Mar-a-Lago frequently and have done so for much of the two decades that their daughter has been with Donald Trump.
The first lady also knows that Mar-a-Lago is the only place her husband could find a shred of praise that he will likely require now that he has spent four years in the public eye.
"She is aware that he is not the type of ex-president who will retire to a quiet life writing his memoirs or painting in oils," said one of the sources, referring to the post-White House habits of Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
"The members will reinforce their ego," added Leamer, highlighting the loyalty of the whole of Palm Beach that belongs to Mar-a-Lago, many of which supported Trump during her presidency.
A familiar source adds that the club's rituals when Trump makes one of his frequent visits "always" include playing "God Bless America" when Trump and Melania Trump enter the ballroom or outdoor patio for dinner.
"It's ... strange," the source said of the way the Mar-a-Lago late-night lounge singer switches from an ambient playlist of Andrew Lloyd Webber tunes to a patriotic anthem, and everyone stands up when Trump approaches to eat.
At the Georgia rally Saturday, Trump told the crowd that he would look forward to life after the White House in Mar-a-Lago.
"I would go to Florida ... take it easy," he said.
Melania Trump's Future Efforts
The first lady's inquiries about funding for an office and staff would indicate that she is considering establishing an official office after the White House, as most first ladies do, to continue initiatives or policy goals initiated while their husbands were in office.
A source confirmed that Trump is mulling the idea of keeping his "Be Best" platform aimed at helping children, but another knowledgeable person said firm plans have not been made on how or when it could take shape. Melania Trump's east wing office has about 12 people and has been the smallest staff in modern history.
As for Trump's official dinnerware, the first lady recently selected patterns and colors for hundreds of silverware, which is standard procedure for an outgoing first lady.
The administration's presidential tableware has traditionally remained in the White House as part of the official collection and, since President James Monroe, may be used by future administrations. However, a source familiar with the order said Melania Trump does not trust the White House Historical Association to pay the bill for the whole, which is not a requirement, but is an option.
The last administration that did not use funds from the Historic White House Associations for official tableware was Reagan's, says the source, confirming that the association "did not participate in an acquisition project related to Trump's tableware."
A full service official dinnerware from the administration is not a cheap endeavor.
The Obama State China service, designed with the assistance of First Lady Michelle Obama, is seen in the State Dining Room of the White House in April 2015.
Official Obama dinnerware, designed by First Lady Michelle Obama, seen in the White House State Dining Room in April 2015.
Obama's tableware, whose planning began in 2011, was delivered in 2015, the color inspired by the blue waters of Hawaii. There were 320 sets of 11 pieces each, costing more than $ 350,000. Laura Bush's dinnerware selection totaled 4,500 pieces and also stood at six figures. (Bush ordered an additional, less formal, 75-seat entertainment space in the private residence, which was not paid for by the White House Historical Association.)
Melania Trump has generally chosen to borrow Clinton's official dinnerware stands for her White House events, including the two state dinners hosted by Trump. There are 300 purposely embellished and glittering gold plate and silverware selected by Hillary Clinton when she was first lady.
If Trump's personal choice reflects the glitz of the Trump era, only the future will tell.
