This is the life of President Trump: he lives alone, addicted to television and does not read books
The customs and routine of the president break with the usual canon of his predecessors in the White House
No one doubts that Donald Trump is an unusual president. But his strange rise to power of the first power and his unpredictable and erratic nature are not the only astonishing. His daily life in the White House, very different from that of previous presidents, reflects a simpler and less enigmatic routine than that of his predecessors.
Barack Obama closed his working days in the White House by reading alone in the Oval Office or in the residence. He said that the books helped him to "stop and have perspective" on what was happening in the world, reflect and do self-criticism. George W. Bush entered the Oval Office at 7.30 in the morning, to start a day that he interrupted with a sports session that often consisted of going for a run or playing with his dogs. He ate with his family and rested the recommended eight hours to perform before the demands of the presidency. Bill Clinton went for a run three times a week, a hobby that he considered essential to mentally disconnect from the intensity of work.
But in the current president's routine - that he does not read books, does not play sports and is known for his unhealthy diet - customs are abysmally different. Trump gets up before six in the morning, just as he did in his beloved Trump Tower in New York, but it is not until nine in the morning that he begins work. Until then, according to an interview with The New York Times a few days after his inauguration, the president watches morning television shows at the White House residence. He also looks at the reference newspapers, which he often describes as dishonest and false, such as The New York Times or The Washington Post.
After three hours of entertainment, the president moves to the West Wing of the White House, where the Oval Office is located. During the day, Trump holds meetings with advisers, businessmen from different industries and other members of the Government. He often has lunch with Vice President Mike Pence in one of the residence's private dining rooms.
A study by the Post indicates that around six or seven in the afternoon, the president ends the work day. It is then that he returns to the residence and dedicates himself to his personal agenda. But, in the absence of having his wife Melania and their son Barron in Washington - both decided to stay in New York until the little boy finishes the school year - Trump usually ends his day as he started: watching television and, sometimes, reacting through tweets, something that has become a unique characteristic of this president.
Within days of his inauguration, Fox News - one of his favorites - was showing a report on violence and crime in Chicago. Within 20 minutes of starting the program, the president tweeted from his Android phone: "If Chicago does not fix the horrible carnage that is happening, I will send the federal (police). This situation has been repeated on several occasions, causing the amazement of journalists and political commentators about the temperament of the most powerful man in the world in front of television information.
So far, Trump has used weekends to travel relatively frequently to the mansion he owns at his private Mar-a-Lago club, which he calls the "Winter White House." There the president plays golf and holds meetings with members of his team and his former friends, away from the pressure of the capital.
Presidents often need an adjustment period to settle into the White House. But for Trump, a person outside of politics, the process of adapting to the iconic residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is even more difficult. Perhaps that is why, to feel more at home, he decided to put gold curtains on the windows of the Oval Office. He so he has them in Trump Tower.
