President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump maintain separate bedrooms on the second floor of the White House residence, according to a forthcoming book by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan.
The arrangement, long reported but now described in new detail, includes Trump claiming the traditional master bedroom space while items selected by Melania for common areas disappeared into his quarters.
The book, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, set for release on June 23, 2026, outlines how Trump took over the room that had historically been used as a second-floor living room, the same setup used by John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy.
Melania occupies the larger adjacent space with an en suite dressing room and bathroom. Trump moved into the White House in January 2025 and soon began rearranging furnishings.
Decor Items Relocated
In the early weeks of the administration, objects from the second-floor corridor were moved into the President’s bedroom, sometimes by Trump himself.
The book reports that some items had been personally selected by Melania for other parts of the residence. Staff reminded Trump that certain pieces came from areas his wife had chosen, but he dismissed the concerns.
Melania was not spending significant time at the White House during this period. Staff responded to the missing items by photographing replacement objects and sending the images to the First Lady for approval.
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The book notes that Trump’s focus on the rooms created tension, with aides feeling positioned between the couple. The Trumps are described as the only presidential pair since Richard and Pat Nixon to regularly use and maintain separate bedrooms.
One prominent example involved a large “selfie” mirror from Melania’s first-term redesign of the Queen’s Bedroom. It was relocated to an outdoor area near Trump’s “Presidential Walk of Fame,” which includes a depiction of former President Joe Biden.
Bathroom and Personal Habits
The book highlights Trump’s preference for a carpeted bathroom, a choice dating to his first term. On inauguration day 2025, the carpet was reinstalled. Staff observed that the section nearest the shower frequently became soaked.
They managed this by rotating small carpet pieces over the main carpet and expressed concern about potential mold. No bath mat was used.
Trump’s nighttime snacking also drew staff attention. Empty potato chip bags, Starbucks wrappers, and ice cream cartons were often left on the floor or in the trash. In some cases, White House sterling silver utensils ended up discarded, prompting closer monitoring of the bedroom trash.
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Residence Projects and Compromises
The book frames the bedroom changes as part of larger residence projects. In the Rose Garden, which Melania redesigned during the first term, Trump initially considered converting it into a Mar-a-Lago-style patio.
After objections from Melania’s team, the solution was to replace the grass with white stone patio while keeping the rose bushes.
A more significant change occurred with the East Wing. In October 2025, Trump ordered its demolition, the traditional location of the First Lady’s offices, to make way for a ballroom expansion.
The project grew in scale over time. Melania reportedly preferred a quieter environment and opposed living in a construction zone. The book states she lost this larger dispute.
Trump had expressed interest in adding a White House ballroom as early as 2010. The ballroom became one of his signature second-term projects.
White House staff reportedly felt caught between the couple’s preferences. The book describes Trump’s redecorating efforts as generating significant activity and notes that some aides hoped Melania’s return would moderate the changes.
