Yet there’s no reason to think the White House will operate much differently without a resident first lady. Tour groups will be accommodated, and the White House residence will be cared for by a team of butlers, housekeepers and florists. “The White House adjusts to its occupants, and the occupants adjust to the White House,” said Anita McBride, an adviser in the George W. Bush administration who served as chief of staff to Laura Bush. Yet the structural apparatus of the White House has grown to support the unofficial position. But Kate Andersen Brower, the author of two books about White House life, saw the decision as less political than practical.

Source: Washington Post November 21, 2016 23:26 UTC