Melania Trump will not invite Jill Biden, wife of President-elect Joe Biden, to the traditional “tea and tour” at the White House. Usually, the first lady receives her successor in the White House’s family wing, where she welcomes her with a tea ceremony and a tour.
However, Trump does not intend to do so, her spokesman confirms to the British tabloid Daily Mail. Today she said goodbye as the first lady in a video message.
On Thursday, CNN reported that Melania Trump had not yet made any moves to invite Jill Biden, and with only two days to go to the swearing-in of the next president, that is no longer possible. This also confirms a spokesperson for the first lady to the Daily Mail.
Nevertheless, the tradition has been in place since 1952, when First Lady Bess Truman invited her successor Mamie Eisenhower for a tour of the White House.
Laura Bush even invited Michelle Obama twice: once alone and once with her daughters, so the girls could already choose their bedrooms.
Melania Trump herself was given a tour by Michelle Obama shortly after Trump won the election in November 2016.
In a video message, Melania Trump said goodbye today as the first lady. Among other things, she says that the past four years were unforgettable.
She is also grateful for her role during her husband’s presidency: “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as the first lady of the United States,” she said.
President Trump and his wife are said to be planning to leave Washington, DC for Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday.
