29.03.2024

Michael Flynn may not have been the only rat in the White House this year

Michael Flynn, president Donald Trump’s former national security advisor, plead guilty yesterday to lying to the FBI about his contact with Russia, suggesting he could have a cut a deal with investigator Robert Mueller to offer damaging information on the president in exchange for a lighter charge.

In other words, Flynn may have ratted out his boss.

And in what is the most on-the-nose visual metaphor of all time, it’s quite possible that while Trump and Flynn sat in the White House Situation Room earlier this year (probably talking about Russia), a literal rat was crawling around their feet.

NBC Washington obtained hundreds of work order requests for the White House this year, which included several reports of rodent and insect infestation. The reports detailed complaints about cockroaches in the West Wing dining room, ants in the chief of staff’s office, and, yes, mice in the Situation Room-the fabled conference room where the US president meets with his national security council.

The White House, a 217-year-old neoclassical residence, needs constant repairs. In August, the building underwent a series of major renovations, including a $2 million HVAC fix. A spokesman for the General Services Administration, the government agency that manages US federal offices, said at the time that heating and air conditioning systems would have failed “in the near future” without an update.

Most of the work order requests are for mundane issues, like replacing lightbulbs and furniture and fixing the plumbing. Some, however, were more interesting: Trump apparently requested a new toilet seat for the bathroom in the oval office. First Lady Melania Trump asked for a 60-inch TV in her office. Vice president Mike Pence asked for DirecTV with DVR capabilities in his.

But most riveting of all are the numerous requests to deal with all the vermin running wild in the West Wing hallways. “Please pick up dead mouse WW rm 205,” reads one work order.”PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE PICK UP DEAD MOUSE WW VP,” reads another, in all caps.

As of press time, Quartz could not confirm of the dead mouse was ever removed from the vice president’s office.

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