The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, will be in the American capital the weekend before the inauguration and will spend the night before the ceremony just a few meters from his new residence, the White House. The Republican and his wife, Melania, will sleep from the 19th to the 20th at Blair House, known as the guest house of the President of the United States. The location is on Pennsylvania Avenue, the same where the American leader’s official residence is located, and is still very close to St. John’s Church, where Trump attends a mass on the morning of Inauguration Day.
Blair House is actually bigger than the White House itself. It is a complex that houses four buildings and a total of 109 rooms, which include 15 guest suites, three formal dining rooms, two large conference rooms, kitchens, a beauty salon, a fitness room and a laundry room.
The house was built in 1824 and to this day plays an important role in the political scene in the United States. The name Blair House comes from an illustrious resident: Francis Preston Blair, who moved to Washington at the invitation of then President Andrew Jackson to be a kind of informal advisor to the head of state.
Many years later, at the time of World War II, Blair House was purchased by the American government to serve as the president’s guest house. At the time, then-president Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized the need for the purchase amid an increase in visits by diplomats due to the conflict in Europe.
Blair House has also hosted a long-term American president. Harry Truman lived there between 1948 and 1952 while the White House underwent a major renovation. The guest house was the target of an attack in 1950 when two Puerto Rican nationalists attempted to assassinate Truman. There was a shootout that ended in two deaths.
Lula and Bolsonaro among guests
Since World War II, the house has hosted heads of state, government and diplomatic representatives from other countries who come to visit Washington. The invitation to stay at the site is considered an honor and has already been extended to personalities such as Queen Elizabeth II, former French president François Mitterrand and the current Russian head of state, Vladimir Putin.
On official visits to the capital of the United States, Brazilian leaders were also invited to stay at Blair House. Fernando Collor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff and Jair Bolsonaro slept there during their trips to meet American presidents.
Traditionally, during the stay of an international leader or foreign diplomatic corps, the flag of the guest country is raised in front of the house.
This content was originally published in Blair House: the house where Trump goes to sleep has already hosted Lula and Bolsonaro on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
