THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY

[Duchess]

If I won the lottery could I stay at the white house and have lunch with him? That would be awesome! I know he doesn't hide the guest book like the other guy did.

The White House announced Friday that it would cut off public access to visitor logs revealing who is entering the White House complex and which officials they are meeting, breaking with the Obama administration’s practice and returning a cloak of secrecy over the basic day-to-day workings of the government.

The decision — which White House officials said was necessary for reasons of national security — was the latest attempt by President Trump, who has promised to “drain the swamp” in Washington, to shield his activities from scrutiny. It effectively bars the public from knowing which activists, lobbyists, political donors and others are gaining access to the president and his aides on a daily basis.

It also is a stark reversal from the policy adopted by President Barack Obama, who voluntarily released more than six million White House visitor records, even as his administration fought successfully in federal court for the right to keep some of the information secret.

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