A White House residence staffer recalled how ex-President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden’s stark difference in attitudes to COVID-19 were on full display on Biden’s Inauguration Day.
The unnamed staffer told how colleagues on Jan. 20 gathered in one White House room to say goodbye to outgoing President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.
Later that day, the same staffers greeted the newly inaugurated president and first lady Jill Biden, but they were spaced out in a line across the whole State Floor.
“It’s like night and day,” the staffer told The New Yorker, pointing out the social distancing differences of the outgoing and incoming first families in an article published Feb. 24 that’s now gaining traction online.
“The Bidens came in and the first thing they did was make a loop of the State Floor and greet the staff,” the staffer remembered. “We were all very flattered. Usually we meet them in the first days or first weeks, but never in the first minutes.”
Trump downplayed the risk of the coronavirus, while privately admitting it was “deadly.” He held packed campaign rallies full of maskless supporters, mocked people who wore masks and hyped unproven and dangerous treatments. His administration’s shambolic mishandling of the pandemic helped seal his defeat.
The former president eventually contracted the virus himself and was hospitalized for three days. Last month, it emerged that Trump’s condition was worse than was reported at the time.
Biden, meanwhile, held socially distanced campaign events and pledged to follow the science fighting the pandemic.
More than 516,000 Americans have now died from COVID-19.
A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus
- Is it safe to see people who have gotten the coronavirus vaccine?
- What it means if your partner tests positive for COVID-19 but you don’t.
- How worried should you be about the new strains of coronavirus?
- The unexpected challenges of co-parenting during a pandemic.
- 19 things we took for granted pre-pandemic but now miss.
- Find all that and more on our coronavirus hub page.
As COVID-19 cases rise, it’s more important than ever to remain connected and informed. Join the HuffPost community today. (It’s free!)
A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus
- Is it safe to see people who have gotten the coronavirus vaccine?
- What it means if your partner tests positive for COVID-19 but you don’t.
- How worried should you be about the new strains of coronavirus?
- The unexpected challenges of co-parenting during a pandemic.
- 19 things we took for granted pre-pandemic but now miss.
- Find all that and more on our coronavirus hub page.
As COVID-19 cases rise, it’s more important than ever to remain connected and informed. Join the HuffPost community today. (It’s free!)