An Unexpected Text From The White House
Suddenly, I was standing right in front of the president
My alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Before I could even think about hitting snooze, I grabbed my phone and checked the president’s daily schedule, which had dropped late the night before.
He had a few public events on the books, but nothing I was assigned to cover. Perfect. I rolled over and stole another hour of sleep.
I strolled into the office just before my 9 a.m. meeting, knocked out a few emails, and was chatting about the morning newscycle with colleagues when my phone buzzed with a text from one of the president’s staffers.
“Are you around today?” the text read.
“Not on the White House campus. I’m a few blocks away at the office. What’s up?” I shot back.
“Do you want to come to Mullin?” the aide replied.
Markwayne Mullin was being sworn in as Homeland Security Secretary at 1:30 p.m. in the Oval Office. It was a press pool-only event, so only the handful of reporters already assigned to the president’s movements that day were supposed to attend. When I’d scanned the schedule that morning, I knew I wasn’t one of them. But sometimes, the president’s team decides to invite reporters to tag along.
“Yes,” I typed back immediately. “I can make it. Thanks.”
I glanced at the clock, then down at what I was wearing.
I had badly misjudged the day.
In a rare break from habit, I’d dressed down and put on my favorite sweater and a pair of dark jeans. There’s no official dress code for the White House press, but we’ve all been gently reminded that the president and his team aren’t big fans of jeans and sneakers in the Oval Office.
Understandably so.
And I’m a strong believer that the institution deserves our respect. I like to dress my best whenever I step on White House grounds.
Thankfully, there is a Nordstrom rack just blocks away from our office. I immediately dashed there and found the perfect dress that was also on sale.
While changing, I texted back and forth with my editors about potential questions. Before every opportunity like this, I check in with our Editorial Director, Vince Coglianese. He has an incredible sense for what’s most newsworthy. We quickly refined half a dozen questions, and I jotted them down in the Notes app on my phone.
I fixed my hair and makeup, then ran over to the White House. Shortly after I arrived, the president’s team called the press pool to line up for the Oval Office.
That doesn’t always mean the president is ready for us. We often wait outside in the Rose Garden, just steps from the Oval. Sometimes it’s five minutes. Sometimes it’s forty-five. This time, it was about fifteen minutes in the cold before we were ushered inside.
It was packed. Secretary Mullin had brought all of his children for the swearing-in, and they were standing in an area usually reserved for the press. That pushed me far toward the back of the room.
I tried standing on my tiptoes to see over two tall cameramen in front of me. Then Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noticed. Without a word, she quietly called me over and tapped the cameramen on their shoulders.
“Can you let her in front, please?” Leavitt asked the cameramen.
Suddenly, I was standing right in front of the president. The best spot possible.
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