https://www.axios.com/2024/06/30/top-aides-shielded-biden-white-house-debate

Even the White House's residence staff, which serves the first family in the mansion's living quarters, has been kept at arm's length.

A former residence official told Axios that Jill Biden was "so protective of the president, and then Anthony just protects her, and they often wouldn't let us do anything for them."

"The separation between the family and the residence staff was so big, so divided," the former official said. "It's not supposed to be and usually isn't, even in the Trump White House."

A White House official said the president "is deeply appreciative of the residence staff's work, but is unused to being waited on regularly or having butlers, so some staff are often allowed to go home early."

Bernal, Tomasini and other close aides had easy access to the residence area of the White House (marked RES on passes).

Some residence staff found it unusual — political staffers typically don't have such access — and another example of the tight circle around the president.

The White House official said: "Annie and Anthony never requested to have 'Res' on their badges and there are other political staff who have that designation, too."

The intrigue: The former residence official recounted an early incident that set a tone for many residence staffers.

On July 4, 2021, Biden hosted a party on the South Lawn in which he declared "independence" from the coronavirus pandemic.

It was a hot day and after hours outside, Biden went back into the White House through the Diplomatic Room, and then into the nearby Map Room.

Biden sat down and the door was abruptly shut as Biden's aides blocked the White House butlers and residence staff from aiding the president.

They suggested to the staffers that the president was just a little overheated. But the episode left residence staff feeling like his close aides were creating a barrier around anything possibly related to the president's health, the former official said.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5548019&forum_id=2#47794372)

and yet all over the world everyone else knows it and is discussing it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5548019&forum_id=2#47794433)