A staffer in Donald Trump’s White House once broke an air conditioning unit by stuffing images of Hunter Biden — the son of then-President-elect Joe Biden — inside the vents, according to a new book by New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman.
The bizarre act allegedly occurred in the waning days of Trump’s presidency, as his aides prepared (or in some cases attempted to hinder) the transition to Biden’s administration, Politico reported Friday, citing an advance copy of the upcoming “Confidence Man.”
The stunt came as Trump continued to deny the results of the 2020 election, falsely suggesting that he had won. Hunter Biden was a frequent target of right-wing rage in the run-up to the vote, amid questions related to his business dealings and explicit images allegedly leaked from his computer.
An unnamed staffer working for John McEntee, Trump’s director of the Presidential Personnel Office, was to blame for the air conditioner incident, per Haberman. Politico did not indicate if the cost of repairing the unit was reported.
This isn’t the first time that White House staffers have caused a ruckus on their way out the door. Aides in Bill Clinton’s administration reportedly caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage ahead of George W. Bush’s presidency, which included the mysterious case of the missing “W” on multiple computer keyboards.
“Confidence Man” is set for release Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
