Proximity to Power: What the West Wing Office Layout Says About the Biden Government

Proximity to Power: What the West Wing Office Layout Says About the Biden Government

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President Joe Biden begins his term with a team of experienced Washington operators, whose location inside the building provides clues as to who will be around in times of crisis and who is most likely to find the president when he is working in his office.

Unlike his predecessor, who professed love for governing chaos and whose advisers were constantly fighting for time face to face, Biden seems more inclined to follow the rules. Officials say their meetings are held in a more traditional way, with a defined list of participants and usually an agenda.

And the door to the Oval Office will not be kept open for advisers to enter, as in the Trump era. Traditional guardians, such as the chief of staff and an executive assistant, will have the kind of control over Biden’s programming that didn’t exist during President Donald Trump’s tenure.

But the opportunity that comes with a workspace of choice remains. And the value of noble White House real estate is even higher, considering how many aides are working remotely during the pandemic.

The question is not whether the offices offer a majestic view of Washington, considering that many of the workspaces have little or no external view. Instead, the proximity to the Oval Office offers a tacit nod to the hierarchy around the president.

Office space can also be used to elevate a particular employee or issue critical to the president’s agenda. Biden placed Jeff Zients, his Covid response coordinator, in an office on the second floor, giving importance to his role in fighting the pandemic.

Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, senior advisers to Biden who are longtime members of his inner circle, are opening up in small offices just steps from the Oval Office and the president’s private dining room. They occupy rooms formerly occupied by advisers like Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon during the Trump administration, David Axelrod during the administration of President Barack Obama and George Stephanopoulos when Bill Clinton was president.

Down the hall, Ron Klain, the chief of staff, has a corner office with a fireplace and an outdoor terrace. In addition to the Oval Office, it is the most spacious office in the West Wing. Vice President Kamala Harris also has a large office next door, along with much more spacious rooms in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is adjacent to the White House.

Jennifer O’Malley Dillon and Bruce Reed, who serve as cabinet deputy heads, also sit in the narrow alcoves with access near the Oval Office.

Situated outside the Oval Office are employees who act as Biden’s personal advisers and manage the operation of the room, including the “Oval Office operations director” – a position that formerly occupied Trump’s former bodyguard.

In the other “corner offices” on the first floor of the West Wing are the national security adviser and the press secretary. Both attend meetings with the president.

Usually, their representatives and assistants crowded the tables outside their offices. However, the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way the building is filled.

Gone are the days when helpers entered offices for brainstorming sessions or meetings. The Biden government is taking the pandemic very seriously – far more than the last occupants of those offices – and many advisers are not allowed in the west wing.
The pandemic has spread some key advisers who would normally work from West Wing to other parts of the White House campus, officials said, with numerous Covid-19 precautions in place, including regular testing, universal masking and other security measures.

“Other advisors are working from home and using a variety of tools to keep in touch and get the job done,” a White House official told CNN.

The White House council, the directors of the National Economic Council, the office of legislative affairs and internal politics must be on the second floor of the West Wing, along with those leading the fight against the coronavirus.

Unlike the Trump administration, no family member will occupy formal functions or offices in the west wing. And unlike the Clinton administration, the first lady will not have an office in the west wing. Jill Biden will work in the first lady’s traditional quarters in the East Wing of the White House.

Some former Obama administration students may think the West Wing looks a little different than when they left four years ago. With Trump, the rugs were changed, the walls were painted and some of the hardware was updated during a renovation early in his term. The air conditioning and heating systems have also been replaced.

But the scale of space has remained the same. In addition to the offices in the corners of the building, work spaces are tiny – especially for employees used to more spacious conditions.

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