U.S. President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are preparing to welcome president-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump at the White House on Thursday morning to discuss the transition of power process.
Trump’s official inauguration will take place in a little over 2 months, on Jan. 20, 2017. Before that time, the Trump family will have plenty to do to ready themselves for their new roles as president and first lady of the United States.
Presidential protocol
Pamela Eyring, the president of the Protocol School of Washington, a prep school for politicians, told CTV News Channel that Trump’s first priority should be the upcoming inauguration.
“It’s a big deal. It’s very high in pomp and circumstance,” Eyring said from Columbia, S.C. on Thursday.
Eyring said Trump will also have to be ready for all of the inaugural balls that come with the actual ceremony. She believes that proper etiquette during traditional events, such as the inauguration, will be imperative for the Trumps to maintain good relations with different guests.
“He needs to understand how official government and international affairs work,” Eyring said. “How to host people from other countries and having really strong cultural awareness and sensitivity.”
Eyring said that Americans, as well as Canadians, tend to be more direct when they express themselves and that can be misinterpreted by others. Eyring suggested that Trump should be aware of these kinds of cultural differences and respect them in order to preserve important relationships.
The role of the first lady
Trump’s wife Melania, on the other hand, could be very useful for improving international relations according to the former chief of staff for first lady Laura Bush, Anita McBride. She told CTV News Channel that Melania’s Slovenian background, and her ability to speak five languages could be beneficial if she becomes involved in international diplomacy.
“Our relationship between the United States and European nations is really important,” McBride said from New York on Thursday. “That might be something that she and her staff might want to think about.”
McBride said that Melania will have a lot of control over what type of role she would like to take on as the next first lady.
“Each first lady makes it into their own. They write their own job description,” McBride said. “Each first lady is so unique. They bring their own backgrounds and their own experiences to this role.”
McBride said that it could be a while before Melania begins introducing any new initiatives or causes that she would like to achieve during her time in the White House.
“I think there’s flexibility as to how much you do and when you do it,” she said.
