THE WESTE ROS WING

In the cramped pressure cooker of the West Wing, with an unprecedented lack of leadership from the president, the knives are out. Talking to current and former Trump aides, SARAH ELLISON maps the shifting power dynamic: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner warring with Steve Bannon, a wounded Reince Priebus losing ground, and the vice president, Mike Pence, making the stealthiest moves of them all

SARAH ELLISON

I. Buzzing Flies The West Wing of the White House is a cramped collection of tiny offices, some of them windowless, linked by narrow hallways. New inhabitants are sometimes surprised at just how small the physical quarters are. The current configuration results from a Depression-era renovation designed to increase the workspace of the president’s staff without expanding the physical footprint of the building. Parts of the West Wing can feel grungy and old, and look as if they have been repainted far too often. Many of the offices contain mousetraps to fight the inevitable infestation. Because the windows don’t open, for security reasons, large flies buzz near the ceilings. The relentless pressures and close quarters mean that someone in the West Wing always seems to be sick. You’ll hear White House veterans…

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Vanity Fair (Digital) - 1 Issue, May 2017

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