Melania Trump couldn't make 'crucial' changes to White House as Obamas denied her 'customary' early access

WASHINGTON, DC: In her newly released memoir, 'Melania,' former first lady Melania Trump has claimed that the Obamas denied her family early access to the White House during the 2016 transition, breaking what she describes as a "customary" tradition.

According to Melania, this delay severely hindered her ability to settle into the residence before her husband, Donald Trump, assumed the presidency in 2017, as per Daily Mail.

In the book, she details how "protocols and politics" played a disruptive role, casting blame on the previous administration for the complications she faced.

Melania Trump accuses the Obamas of not allowing her traditional early access during transition

Melania, 54, opened up in her memoir about the difficulties her family experienced when preparing to move from their home in New York to Washington DC before Trump's inauguration.

In her account, she specifically points to Barack Obama and his administration for not allowing her the traditional early access that most first families receive.

“It is customary for the incoming First Family to begin preparations when the outgoing one leaves for the holidays in December,” Melania writes, emphasizing the importance of following established traditions.

However, she claims that her requests for an early visit to the White House were met with silence. "Sadly, our team did not receive the access we had requested to visit the White House residence in December."

Melania further alleges that she and her team reached out multiple times to the Obamas' staff, hoping to arrange a convenient time for a visit, but they were left waiting for weeks without a response.

When they finally received the necessary information to move forward, she says the documents were "filled with errors," resulting in further delays.

By the time they were granted access, it was already after the inauguration, forcing the Trumps to start renovations and planning after they had officially moved into the White House.

“Those three weeks would have been crucial for taking measurements, gathering plans, and starting preparations,” Melania writes, suggesting that the delays prevented her from executing her plans efficiently.

Melania Trump reflects on how disrupted transition affected her ability to prepare White House

Throughout her memoir, Melania reflects on how the disrupted transition affected her ability to prepare the White House for her family, particularly for her then 10-year-old son, Barron.

She details the extensive research she conducted on local schools and the efforts she made to ensure the residence felt like a “comfortable and welcoming home.”

“While the logistics of relocating can be challenging, my priority was to create a sense of stability and familiarity for Barron during this transition,” Melania explains.

She emphasizes that she was deeply committed to making the move as smooth as possible for her son, ensuring he would have a positive experience settling into his new life in Washington DC.

One of the most pressing projects for Melania was redecorating Barron’s room. As the first young boy to live in the White House since John F Kennedy Jr, Barron’s room had to be transformed from a space designed for girls into one that suited his interests.

“The children’s bedrooms had been decorated for girls for sixty years, so it was important to create a space that suited Barron’s interests,” she writes, adding that the existing decor in the White House was “outdated or not to my taste.”

According to Melania, the delay in access meant that crucial renovations and redecoration projects — such as updating a dozen rooms in the private residence — had to be postponed until after the Trumps had already moved in.

She describes how this caused unnecessary complications, as she could not begin the renovation process until they were already occupying the space.

Despite these setbacks, she highlights the care and attention to detail that went into making the residence feel like a true home for her family.