TIL: First Time There's No Pets in the White House

[Milchshake]

A really fun article about this overlooked White House Tradition that has been broken. Mostly because I had no idea that many US presidents had rather eccentric pets. Learning that Trump hates dogs is not surprising though.

Washington (CNN)He campaigned and won vowing to shake up Washington. Now, President Donald Trump is again breaking with tradition on a more personal matter: keeping a pet at the White House.

The illustrious tradition of keeping pets in the White House dates back to Thomas Jefferson, who kept a mockingbird and a couple of bear cubs during his presidency. Throughout the years, presidential pets became celebrities of sorts.
"It softens their image, it broadens their appeal," Ed Lengel, chief historian at the White House Historical Association, told CNN. "They help create an atmosphere of the White House as a family, a lived-in place and not just a stiff museum, but a place where a family lives and plays and enjoys each other's company."
For an image-conscious President, Trump seems to be in little rush to add a furry friend to the White House brood, making his the only first family in modern presidential history without a pet.

Woodrow Wilson's Sheep


First lady Grace Coolidge is seen holding her pet raccoon, Rebecca.


Sorry, but Paul Ryan doesn't count as a lap dog.

[Polyxo]

I distinctly remember seeing this Jack Russell Terrier somewhere at the white house.

[LaserSharkDFB]

I distinctly remember seeing this Jack Russell Terrier somewhere at the white house.

He certainly got fired like a dog.

Which reminds me: Trump Does Not Know What Dogs Are.

[Travis B]

Trump lived with a poodle, Chappy, with his first wife, Ivana, who wrote in her memoir, "Raising Trump," that "Donald was not a dog fan."

"When I told him I was bringing Chappy with me to New York, he said, 'No,' " she wrote. "'It's me and Chappy or no one!' I insisted, and that was that."

Chappy, she later said, "had an equal dislike of Donald."

LOL /10chars

[Mormolyce]

Was going to make a joke about Bannon, but he's been "fired like a dog" too.

I think you have to have a capacity for compassion to own a pet though.

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LOL /10chars

That dog has good instincts.

[Milchshake]

That dog has good instincts.

Makes me think of this Bill Murray quote:

I’m suspicious of a man who doesn’t like dogs, but I always trust a dog when it doesn’t like a man.
-Bill Murray

[Dontrike]

Trump getting a dog, or any pet, might actually calm him down.

[Matchles]

Trump getting a dog, or any pet, might actually calm him down.

I wouldn't trust Trump to take care of a pet. And I get the WH staff would take care of it. But you know he'll order them to starve the poor thing out of jealousy the moment it gets positive news coverage.

[Mormolyce]

Makes me think of this Bill Murray quote:

I’m suspicious of a man who doesn’t like dogs, but I always trust a dog when it doesn’t like a man.
-Bill Murray

It's not actually from Bill Murray, but it's still a great quote.

[Theodarzna]

The president should get a tortoise and simply pass it on to the next president.

[ati87]

Their are allot of pussy's cats in the white house though

[Adam Jensen]

What do you mean? Putin's got a pet in the White House.

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The president should get a tortoise and simply pass it on to the next president.

We've already got a tortoise in DC. We named it Mitch.

[Iphie]

Makes me think of this Bill Murray quote:

I’m suspicious of a man who doesn’t like dogs, but I always trust a dog when it doesn’t like a man.
-Bill Murray

I dunno, dogs and I don't get along usually it's not that I don't like them I just don't trust them. It's what you get when they always seem to be barking at you for no apparent reason when you're minding your own business. Cats on the other hand, always sweet and cuddly.

OT: Is this really important? I mean Trump is trash, but I think not having a pet is one of his lesser sins.

[Dontrike]

I wouldn't trust Trump to take care of a pet. And I get the WH staff would take care of it. But you know he'll order them to starve the poor thing out of jealousy the moment it gets positive news coverage.

You got a point, or this could be one of those times where the crazy hyper child gets a pet and calms down and learns what it is like to take care of a living creature. (This of course is assuming he really didn't do much with his children and probably didn't raise them much, if at all.)

[PosPosPos]

LOL /10chars

That dog has good instincts.

Makes me think of this Bill Murray quote:

I’m suspicious of a man who doesn’t like dogs, but I always trust a dog when it doesn’t like a man.
-Bill Murray

Reminds of this article I read two years back.

Raised an eyebrow and dismissed it at that time, but fast forward to today....

[Dead Moose Fandango]

I always figured the 1st lady was technically Trump's latest pet.

[pionock]

Why am I not surprised that CNN is posting this? Is it a slow day in the 24 hour news world that they had to find a mole hill to scale up?

This must be to get whatever pet lovers were on the fence about Trump against him. I just can't imagine CNN writing up this story, editing it, and deciding, "Yup, this is totally worth running."

[Dezerte]

I was under the impression that his pet resided on his head.

[Dontrike]

Why am I not surprised that CNN is posting this? Is it a slow day in the 24 hour news world that they had to find a mole hill to scale up?

This must be to get whatever pet lovers were on the fence about Trump against him. I just can't imagine CNN writing up this story, editing it, and deciding, "Yup, this is totally worth running."

No different than that fancy mustard we had to hear about for a week with Obama.

[pionock]

No different than that fancy mustard we had to hear about for a week with Obama.

So we're okay with the whatabouttery? The mustard thing came from fox news, which was just as ridiculous. But now that it's CNN it's okay?

I'm not attacking you when I say that; I think it's more indicative of how useless and potentially damaging the 24 hour news networks are. Even with how chaotic people think the world is today (It's really not), there's simply not enough going on to warrant 24 hours of coverage. But that's a tangent, and I don't wanna go off topic.