Trump demanded that his White House bathroom be covered in carpet, book authors claim

Trump demanded that his White House bathroom be covered in carpet, book authors claim The unusual interior design decision led to concerns about a potential mold issue in the historic residence, the authors claim - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments President Donald Trump insisted that his White House bathroom be covered in wall-to-wall carpet, a decision that raised concerns about a potential mold issue in the historic residence, according to a new book. The unusual design choice was recounted by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan in their book Regime Change, a scoop-heavy account of the Republican president’s first year back in office. During a Wednesday interview with MS NOW, host Chris Hayes highlighted the episode, reading the passage directly from the book. “New carpet was laid in the bathroom on Inauguration Day, as before,” Hayes read aloud. “Trump’s preference for a fully carpeted bathroom had posed a challenge for the Residence staff during his first term. The portion nearest the shower would often be soaked through; the staff was never quite sure why. but they worried about mold growing underneath.” Hayes reacted with visible surprise, saying: “I’ve never in my life encountered carpeting in the bathroom, but this apparently is a real Donald Trump must-have.” Swan then elaborated on a workaround that staff came up with. “It was important to [Trump] to have a fully carpeted bathroom,” the Australian-American journalist said. “Residence staff’s solution to the damp problem, or the mold — potential mold problem — was to get essentially a small piece of carpet and overlay it as if it was a bath mat on top of the other carpet in front of the shower, and then substitute and rotate that carpeting.” For one reason or another, he said, that specific detail from the nearly 500-page book seems to have stuck with readers. “It’s really quite memorable because you don’t encounter that a lot,” Hayes replied. The book, which the authors say draws on interviews with more than 1,000 sources, also chronicles other behind-the-scenes episodes that took place on the White House’s second floor, where the first family resides. One chapter reveals an apparent interior design kerfuffle between the president and First Lady Melania Trump. Trump, 80, has at times undertaken redecorating projects while his wife — who reportedly sleeps in a separate bedroom and divides her time between Washington, New York, and Florida — is away. “Items were spirited from the second-floor corridor into the President’s bedroom,” Haberman and Swan write. “Sometimes Trump carried the objects in himself, rearranging things across the private quarters on a whim.” “The President's redecorating generated such a flurry of activity that staff often felt caught between the two Trumps,” they add. In addition to details that feed palace intrigue, the book also recounts a number of policy deliberations that reportedly took place within Trump’s inner circle. Citing confidential memos, the authors report that the administration had considered suspending habeas corpus, a constitutional right, for undocumented immigrants. They also write that senior officials gathered in the Situation Room to discuss the Epstein files, where Vice President JD Vance said all of the documents should be released “as soon as possible.” The president has dismissed the reporting as riddled with falsehoods. In a post on Truth Social late last month, he labeled it: “mostly made up, Fake News, largely fiction.” Vance has said he is “worried” that the book may have relied on recordings made in the Situation Room, which he said would constitute a felony. Throughout their press tour, the authors have declined to comment on their sourcing methods, though they’ve said the reporting was a major undertaking that required rigorous fact-checking. Regime Change, which was published on June 23, has already sold over 300,000 copies, publisher Simon & Schuster has said. The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments [Image text:] COR ACE ORCE