GettyTrump’s first task is a bit of a morbid one, involving planning his own funeral as he takes office on Friday.
The 45th President of the United States must not waste any time, before completing the sombre duty as soon as he sets foot inside White House.
According to George Bush’s deputy assistant, Bradley Blakeman, the grisly plan must be put in place as soon as possible, ominously in case something happens in the early stages of Trump’s presidency.
Flikr/Gage SkidmoreHe explained:
It may sound shocking, but during the first week of moving into the White House, the president is asked to plan his or her funeral should anything occur during their presidency.
The funeral of an American President isn’t any old burial and follows strict rituals and traditions, lasting for five days in total.
Trump will get to choose what sort of funeral he’d like, ranging from a ‘simple’ burial, to a ‘full honour funeral’, which includes the full works of drummers playing, a flag draped over the coffin and gunshots fired.
Wikimedia/Gunnery Sgt. Mark OlivaWhen the time comes, the Military District of Washington will make the necessary arrangements, following guidance from family and the directions of the deceased leader.
Apparently, the president’s body will ‘lie in state’ for anywhere from 24 hours to 72 hours, before it is driven to its resting place.
The reason for these hurried arrangements is because before President William Henry Harrison died in 1841, the U.S had no protocol for burying their leaders.
Out of the four president’s that have died in the last 30 years, only Lyndon B Johnson, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford chose state funerals to mark their deaths, according to The Sun.
It certainly seems a gruesome task for the new President to undertake as soon as he’s inside his new home.
I don’t think there’ll be any prizes for guessing which service Trump will probably prefer
