His habits in the White House so far comport with what friends in New York say about his pre-political life. He has long been a creature of comfort, eschewing some of New York’s glitzy balls and galas to instead stay at home, watch TV and dine in his apartment, while watching sports and calling friends. After winning the presidency, he largely stayed in his apartment or at Mar-a-Lago, venturing out once in New York to the 21 Club for dinner. He is happy to not go outside.
“He’s not a guy who likes to be away from his own bed,” said Chrisr Ruddy, a longtime Trump friend and the CEO of Newsmax, who visited Trump recently at the White House. “He doesn’t want to tour or travel for the sake of traveling. If he can get in a round of golf in Scotland, he’ll do that. But you’re not going to see him just spend three days shopping and visiting friends.”
On Tuesday, when public White House tours resumed for the first time since Trump took office, the president surprised a group of schoolchildren by hopping out from behind a screen to greet them. But other than that, he’s spent much of his time with people he already knows. He’s hosted CEOs and other executives at the White House at least 11 times in his 2½- month-old presidency. He’s huddled with the leaders of America’s automotive, pharmaceutical, retail, health insurance, financial and airline giants. Sitting around a large boardroom, while quizzing others round-robin, is a scene he is comfortable with and feels he can control.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member