White House tours resumed after a nearly seven-week absence, and the first group on Tuesday received a surprise when President Donald Trump suddenly appeared to greet them, The Hill reported.
The group of about 100 people burst into cheers at the sight of the president.
Many on the tour were fifth grade students from Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, Ala., USA Today reported. Trump gestured for a 10-year-old boy to come forward, and the president gave him a hug.
The scene happened to play out, ironically, right in front of a portrait of former first lady Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated in the election, The Washington Examiner pointed out.
It is common for the White House Visitors Office, which is traditionally overseen by the first lady, to be closed during the presidential transition as the new staff enters their positions, but usually the tours resume much more quickly, The Hill reported.
The longer-than-usual delay caused some members of Congress to express frustration, since they are responsible for scheduling tours for their constituents, as shown by this tweet last month from Republican Sen. Chuck Grassely from Iowa.
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