Donald Trump's White House not yet open for tours breaking with tradition

Two weeks might have passed since Donald Trump’s inauguration but the White House is still not open for tours.

The Trump administration has yet to appoint anyone to oversee the White House Visitors Office, breaking with decades of tradition.

Previous administrations ensured someone was appointed to run the visitors centre by this point and the doors were open to the public. Some even commenced open house tours a day after inauguration.

“The Trump White House is currently not able to accommodate public tours due to staffing issues in the White House Visitors Office,” a message on the White House website reads. “This situation should be resolved in the coming weeks. See below for information on how to submit a tour request.”

The decision not to immediately appoint someone to oversee the centre could either be seen as testimony of the Trump administration’s broader rejection of the White House’s so-called rulebook or as mere incompetence.

The billionaire property mogul was sworn into office with a skeletal governmental team. What's more, not only is Mr Trump the first person to be elected as US President with zero government or military experience, much of his Cabinet and senior staff have never served in government.

The head of the White House Visitors Office, which is located in the East Wing, is a key position which Melania Trump is in charge of filling. In recent administrations it had been filled by someone who knows both the President and the First Lady personally.

Ms Trump, who has been in New York with their 10-year-old son Barron for the last week or so as planned, has yet to hire her full staff for the White House. Hours after CNN reported no formal hires had been announced for the office, it was announced Ms Trump was hiring Lindsay Reynolds as chief of staff to the First Lady and assistant to the President on Wednesday.