A day after it was reported that US President Joe Biden fired Timothy Harleth, the White House Chief Usher, a new report now claims that it was last act of the Trumps before they left the White House. In a major protocol breach, the first couple was left standing outside the door as they waited for it to open following the inauguration ceremony.
According to the startling revelation, the Trumps fired the chief usher with an intention that there would be no one to help the Bidens settle down in their new home at the White House. Besides skipping Biden's inauguration ceremony, the former President Donald Trump had also refused to invite him for the traditional meeting at the White House.
Timothy Harleth Was Handpicked by Melania Trump
A trump loyalist, Harleth was a director of rooms at the Trump International Hotel in Washington DC before he was handpicked by Melania Trump to manage their White House residence in 2017.
The Daily Mail reported that while Harleth was seen prepping the WH for arrival of the Bidens on the morning of inauguration, he failed to turn up to greet them at the main door of the building. Images of the first couple waiting outside the front door of the WH while waiting for it to open went viral on social media.
Harleth, who received an estimated salary around the $200,000, looked after overseeing budgets, planning the family's dinner menus and handling any personal issues at the White House. Citing two sources, CNN had reported that it was the Bidens who fired Harleth on Wednesday.
Trump Did Not Want Harleth to Help Bidens
The New York Times reported that Harleth was told at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday - after the Trumps had left for Florida but before Biden had taken the oath of office - that his services were no longer needed. In a statement issued to the outlet, the former Chief usher said: "It has been an honor to serve as Chief Usher, a position whose loyalty is not to a specific president, but rather to the institution of the presidency. I am proud that I had the opportunity to lead the Residence Staff to receive the incoming First Family with the utmost respect and dignity."
However, a well-placed official not associated with the incoming Biden team told National Journal, Trumps were behind Harleth's sacking. "The Trumps sent the butlers home when they left so there would be no one to help the Bidens when they arrived. So petty," the outlet quoted the source.
Daily Mail reported that Trump was also furious with Harleth for sending binders of information on the transition process to Biden's staff in preparation for the January 20th move in day.
