Melania Trump breaks tradition of giving official walkthrough to next First Lady
Jan 19, 2021
Washington [US], January 19 : For the first time in the US' history, First Lady Melania Trump has not invited the next First Lady Jill Biden to the White House for the official walkthrough of the private living quarters on the second and third floors.
According to an article by Kate Andersen Brower in CNN, while Melania seems to have discarded the tradition, from Bess Truman and Mamie Eisenhower's meeting to the visit Laura Bush hosted where Jenna and Barbara Bush showed Sasha and Malia Obama how to slide down the banister in the Residence, to the visit where Michelle Obama invited Melania Trump even after Donald Trump had questioned her husband's citizenship, the tradition has long been one of the first lady's many unwritten obligations.
Earlier, President Donald Trump also went against the old tradition by not calling his successor President-elect Joe Biden ahead of the inauguration.
According to a report by The Hill, while Trump will be departing Washington, DC, early on the inauguration day, Vice President Mike Pence will be attending the ceremony.
On January 6, a group of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol to protest legislators confirming electoral slates from battleground US states they thought were invalid.
Trump had made a speech among thousands of supporters reiterating his claim a massive voter fraud had robbed his election victory and encouraged supporters to maintain support to "stop the steal."
Five people died in the riot, including one police officer as well as one Air Force veteran and Trump supporter who was shot dead by police.
Following the incident, a total of 10 Republicans broke ranks with the GOP to join their Democrat colleagues to vote in the impeachment resolution, in contrast to the year 2020, when not a single Republican voted for Trump's impeachment.
