President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House on January 20, as President Joe Biden departs, with the residence returning to a familiar appearance in more ways than one.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, one of the features making a comeback will be Trump’s infamous Diet Coke button. The red button, which sat on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, was used to summon a butler who would bring Trump his preferred drink. After Biden assumed office in 2021, the button was removed.

Additionally, other changes to the White House’s furniture and artwork will be restored to how they were during Trump’s first term, the report noted. This transition will continue the tradition of a peaceful transfer of power, which typically occurs with much less fanfare than the inauguration ceremony held on the Capitol Building’s west front.

In 2020, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump made several renovations to the White House, including work on the Rose Garden. Once the transfer of power happens on January 20, 2025, the White House will bear a strong resemblance to its previous appearance, and many staff members from Trump’s first term will return. Non-political White House staff generally remain in place despite changes in presidential administrations.

During the transition from Trump to Biden in 2021, the outgoing Trump administration began preparations to vacate the White House, even while the president continued to contest the results of the election.

In the weeks leading up to Trump’s departure on January 20, 2021, White House staff began moving belongings out of both the executive offices and residential parts of the mansion. By the time Biden was sworn in, staff were simultaneously moving his belongings into the White House.

The process of vacating the outgoing president’s space and moving in the new one concludes when the president officially leaves office, with the new president’s belongings being unpacked and arranged after 12:01 p.m. on Inauguration Day.

According to a 2021 report from the New York Times, the transition process—including packing up one president’s belongings, deep cleaning the residence, and arranging the new president’s items—typically takes about five hours. The White House staff, which consists of approximately 90 individuals, is responsible for handling the move and preparing the mansion according to the incoming president’s preferences.

Previous presidential transitions have had their share of unusual events. When President Bill Clinton left office in January 2001, the incoming George W. Bush administration discovered roughly $15,000 in damage to the White House, as noted in a General Accounting Office report.

The incoming Bush team accused the Clinton administration of damaging offices and other parts of the White House as they moved out.

The transitions from President George W. Bush to President Barack Obama and from Obama to Trump were less contentious than the Clinton-to-Bush handover.

As Biden prepares to leave office, additional attention will likely focus on the handling of classified documents, given recent scrutiny surrounding both Biden’s and Trump’s post-presidency records regarding such materials.

{Matzav.com}