Jackie Kennedy’s preservation legacy

Sep 25, 2023

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Not every head of state residence is as well preserved as the White House. Ottawa’s 24 Sussex Drive has a mold problem, failing plumbing and a hazardous electric system. Brazil’s presidential palace had so much damage to its floors, carpets and furniture that renovations forced LUIZ INÁCIO LULA DA SILVA to wait weeks after his inauguration before moving in. And the French are selling souvenirs to finance renovations in the Élysée Palace.

“I have visited homes of heads of state around the world and I can tell you, ours is in the best condition of any that I’ve seen,” said STEWART MCLAURIN, president of the White House Historical Association.

In McLaurin’s view, of course, his organization is partly why the White House stands up so well against other presidential residences. First lady JACQUELINE KENNEDY founded the WHHA in 1961 after being appalled to learn that previous presidents had disposed of antiques they didn’t care for, often resulting in the building to be furnished with common department store pieces.

Kennedy insisted that the WHHA be nonpartisan and privately run. That way, funding for White House residential projects wouldn’t get caught in partisan budget fights.

“It’s because of Mrs. Kennedy’s vision to put this resource in place that we don’t have to go to Congress and say, ‘Can we have money for this? Can we have money for that?’” said McLaurin, who has been president of the WHHA for the past decade.

Over the years, the association has matured into an organization of art collectors, curators and historians who work out of an office next to Lafayette Park, just north of the White House. WHHA members scour art auctions for long lost White House antiques (like the Bellangé chair that the father of a former Biden staffer bought and donated to the White House in honor of his daughter’s wedding). The WHHA also investigates items that people bring in from their family collections believing they used to belong to the White House (more often than not, it’s just a family tale).

But perhaps what the WHHA is best known for is its work with the first lady’s office. Each administration, the WHHA works closely with the first lady on specific projects, whether it’s acquiring new works of art for the White House collection or refurbishing sun damaged wallpaper in the Red Room.

“They all have different interests and things that they are curious about and would like to undertake,” McLaurin said. “Having different presidents and different interests keeps it kind of unpredictable.”

LAURA BUSH, a librarian, redid the White House library and the Lincoln Bedroom. MICHELLE OBAMA worked on acquiring 20th century art — fairly modern pieces by White House standards, which only displays works that are at least 25 years old or created by an artist who is deceased. MELANIA TRUMP refurbished 32 hardwood doors that had been damaged over the years by White House pets — a project that McLaurin admitted was “not glamorous,” but “an important thing to have done.”

So far, JILL BIDEN hasn’t picked a legacy-defining project. But McLaurin said she’s been “more involved than any other first lady” in promoting the WHHA’s teaching programs and educational events. On Monday afternoon, Biden hosted the welcoming reception at the White House for the WHHA’s 2023 Presidential Sites Summit, a conference held every two years that brings together leaders from museums, historic homes and presidential libraries.

WHHA historians have increasingly become a go-to resource for reporters, providing information on everything from the history of White House state dinners to sites where each president liked to vacation (and, as loyal readers of this newsletter will know, they have a seemingly endless supply of presidential trivia questions). In recent years, the WHHA has made an effort to not just educate the public about the history of the White House, but the officials who work in the building, too.

“We joke that every president thinks history begins with them, and so we try to encourage them to understand that they’re part of our continuity that has existed now of people living in that house for 223 years,” said McLaurin.

When DONALD TRUMP took office, McLaurin started a new tradition. Now when a president is inaugurated, the WHHA leaves a book at each desk in the White House showing all of the officials who came before them in that exact office space.

“It helps give them context,” said McLaurin. “And just as people have come before them, people will come after them.”

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POTUS PUZZLER

Thanks to the White House Historical Association for this question!

Which first lady purchased the now famous Lincoln Bed in the White House?

(Answer at bottom.)

The Oval

UNION JOE GOES ALL IN: United Auto Workers president SHAWN FAIN plans to join JOE BIDEN on the picket line Tuesday during the president’s trip to Detroit, a person familiar with the arrangement tells our HOLLY OTTERBEIN.

Fain has not been as close to the White House as other labor leaders and hasn’t shied away from expressing frustration with Biden’s handling of the strike. He rebuffed the White House’s offer to send two senior administration officials to Detroit last week, instead pressuring Biden to make the trip himself by publicly inviting the president to Michigan. Fain’s union also has withheld making an endorsement.

On Monday, the White House declined to preview too much of the president’s visit. Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE wouldn’t say whether joining the picket line meant that Biden was siding with auto workers over auto companies. She also declined to say if Biden supported some of the specific items the UAW was pushing for, such as a 40 percent wage increase. “We're not going to speak to what’s being put on the table,” she said.

Biden’s trip also isn’t related to former President Donald Trump’s plan to visit the state a day later, said Jean-Pierre. “Absolutely not. This is a decision to visit the picket line and it was based off his own desire. This is what the president wanted to do, to stand with auto workers.” Our KIERRA FRAZIER has the details.

PICS OR IT DIDN’T HAPPEN: Biden received his updated Covid-19 booster shot on Saturday, according to a memo by White House physician, KEVIN O’CONNOR. But reporters at Monday’s press briefing wanted to know why the president received the jab out of public view. Jean-Pierre said although the White House is “engaged in a robust campaign” encouraging vaccinations, Biden’s busy schedule didn’t leave time for a “presidential photo-op.” The president received his Covid booster shot in front of cameras last fall and got all his prior shots in public in an effort to convince Americans to get vaccinated.

SPOILER ALERT: Biden and his allies are increasingly concerned with the possibility of a third party presidential candidate siphoning away votes from Democrats in 2024, NBC News’ JONATHAN ALLEN and CAROL E. LEE report. The president met earlier this month at the White House with HILLARY CLINTON, who warned Biden to “take the third-party threat seriously and come up with a way to compensate for it,” the reporters write.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by the Washington Post’s LAUREN KAORI GURLEY, JEANNE WHALEN, ERICA WERNER and WALI KHAN about the broad praise from Biden allies over his decision to join the UAW’s picket line. Several spoke of their support as they hit the Sunday talk show circuit, including Rep. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-N.Y.), who described the visit as a “historic event” on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG, on CNN’s “State of the Union,” also defended Biden’s decision.

“Record profits should lead to record pay and record benefits for the workers,” he said. Deputy press secretary ANDREW BATES retweeted the Post piece.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This essay by NIKHIL GOYAL for The New York Times about the consequences of federal pandemic-era housing, health care and food assistance programs expiring. Tens of thousands of child care programs are likely to shut down when emergency-relief funding expires on Sept. 30, potentially leaving millions of kids without care. Goyal also argues that women could be significantly affected without additional government funding. “The lack of accessible and affordable child care could pull more women out of the work force, potentially leading to higher inflation and a slower economic recovery,” Goyal writes.

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THE BUREAUCRATS

PSAKI BOMBS RETURN: Former White House press secretary-turned-MSNBC host JEN PSAKI will make her primetime hosting debut at 8 p.m. ET Monday night on “Inside with Jen Psaki,” where she’ll interview former House Speaker NANCY PELOSI (D-Calif.).

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Agenda Setting

SURGING OIL PRODUCTION: Republicans have continued to slam Biden’s energy policy although oil production has reached record highs during his presidency. Biden has approved more oil drilling permits on federal lands than the Trump administration as part of concessions made to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, even as environmental regulations for drilling have tightened, our SHELBY WEBB reporters for Pro subscribers.

Although drilling has increased, production cuts from OPEC+ have passed hikes in energy costs onto American consumers, hindering Biden’s ability to sell his energy record to voters, Webb writes.

SOUNDING THE ALARM: Agriculture Secretary TOM VILSACK warned that a partial government shutdown could cause nearly 7 million low-income mothers and young children to lose access to food benefits offered by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC. “The reality is that when there is a shutdown, we’re looking at a significant disruption of the lives of millions of Americans,” Vilsack said during Monday’s White House briefing. Roll Call’s ELLYN FERGUSON has more details.

SAFETY FIRST: The Biden administration on Monday announced plans to award $1.4 billion to 70 projects aimed at improving rail safety and capacity in 35 states and Washington, D.C. The funding comes as concerns grow over rail safety following the disastrous freight derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that released toxic pollutants and forced evacuations.

HAPPENING 9/28 — INSIDE THE CANCER MOONSHOT: Join POLITICO on Thursday, Sept. 28 for an in-depth discussion on the future of cancer treatment and innovation. Hear from experts including scientists, government officials and industry leaders as we explore the critical roles played by private industry, nonprofits, the National Cancer Institute and the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health in achieving the Biden administration's goal of cutting the cancer death rate in half over the next 25 years. Don't miss this opportunity to dive into the progress of cancer treatments and learn about the challenges patients encounter in accessing care. REGISTER HERE.

What We're Reading

Why America Has a Long-Term Labor Crisis, in Six Charts (WSJ’s Lauren Weber and Alana Pipe)

Biden Needs to Talk About the Trump Prosecutions Before It’s Too Late (New York Magazine’s Ankush Khardori)

Ex-Wall Streeters Help Washington Divvy Up $100 Billion to Win the Global Chip Race (Bloomberg's Mackenzie Hawkins, Jenny Leonard, Ian King and Eric Martin)

POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER

First lady MARY TODD LINCOLN purchased the Lincoln Bed while she worked to improve the White House with new carpet and furnishings, according to the White House Historical Association.

A CALL OUT! Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents, with a citation or sourcing, and we may feature it!

Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein.

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