The White House Historical Association is out with its newest guidebook on the People’s House — featuring extensive, behind-the-scenes photos of the executive mansion — and Melania Trump is big mad about it, releasing a statement that positively fumes over her claim that the photos included in the book only show a mere fraction of the extensive restoration she did while living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and accused that “her deliberate styling of the furniture and accessories was significantly rearranged.”
The new 60th anniversary edition of ‘The White House: An Historic Guide’ made its public debut on July 28th, and features a rare behind-the-scenes collection of photos and information that allows readers to immerse themselves within the walls of the People’s House, complete with many rare, never-before-seen images of private living quarters, rooms, and floor where United States presidents and first ladies have lived over the years.
The photos for the new guidebook were actually captured last Fall when President Joe Biden was already in office. However, the White House is still quite full of renovations and decor that was spearheaded by Donald Trump’s third wife, Melania, who seemed to make her biggest priority as First Lady preserving, restoring, and redecorating the 230-year-old executive mansion — because what else was she good for?
Among the rooms “restored” by Melania Trump and featured in the new 60th-anniversary guidebook were the Yellow Oval Room, the Queens’ Bedroom, and the Center Hall in the upstairs residence. The images are beautiful and offer the average American a glimpse behind the walls of the White House where so many of our country’s decisions are made — but apparently, Mel thinks it’s crap, as she feels the guidebook scorned not only her extensive work, but that of Tham Kannalikham, the designer she worked with on the renovations, restorations, and redecorating.
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In a statement released exclusively to the Daily Mail, the Office of Melania Trump said, “Unfortunately, the 26th Edition of The White House: An Historic Guide fails to accurately represent the breadth and detail of Mrs. Trump’s design work in and around the White House.”
The former First Lady’s office went on to claim that the layout and styling of the furniture chosen by Melania were “significantly rearranged.”
“Preserving the history of the People’s House for future generations was something that Mrs. Trump was very passionate about and took very seriously. She and her design team worked tirelessly to beautify the White House, but only a small amount of their creative execution adorns the pages of this book. In fact, her deliberate styling of the furniture and accessories was significantly rearranged throughout the book’s images,” Melania cried in the statement through her official office, though they failed to specify what furniture and layout had been rearranged or changed.
A source familiar with the ex-first lady’s designs added, “The Association slighted Mrs. Trump and her design team, who helped by deliberately leaving out details regarding the work they did. It is extremely disappointing. It is very unprofessional that no one from WHHA reached out to Mrs. Tham Kannalikham, who worked closely with Mrs. Trump on all of the White House projects. They were both blindsided by this book, which lacks many facts.”
The White House Historical Association is a charitable nonprofit institution established by Jackie Kennedy with the purpose of educating and preserving history. Since Kennedy’s term, every US first lady has served as the association’s honorary chair during their own terms, including Melania, during her husband’s administration.
The guidebook, which comes in at a price tag of just $22.95, is celebrating 60 years in print this year and is updated regularly to reflect the changing of the times inside and the families that inhabit the executive mansion, with this year’s version serving as the 26th edition.
See the photos from the Daily Mail here.
Featured image via Wikimedia Commons/Tolgenn
