Feature on deaf White House employee Gregg Trainor
Politico did a feature on a long-time deaf White House employee who is responsible for reading, sorting, and forwarding the letters and packages that people send to the president. His name is Gregg Trainor. His job title is “Director of Special Projects for Presidential Correspondence.”
Politico said Trainor started working at the White House in 1991 under President George H.W. Bush. He said he has opened over a million letters and packages.
Trainor said he is the first deaf staffer in the presidential correspondence office. When he first started working in the White House, he did not have interpreters provided but now he has interpreters provided by outside agencies.
Trainor said the first President Bush was awkward when he first met him because he didn’t know how to interact with a deaf person. He said the second President Bush was more attentive and waited for him to look at him before talking because he knew he needed to lip-read. Trainor said Barack Obama knew some sign language and that he has not yet met Joe Biden.
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Trainor said one of the strangest packages he’s ever received was a dark pink bathroom rug for the second President Bush. The president who received the most love letters was Bill Clinton. The grossest package he’s received was a blanket that seemed like it was peed on.
Trainor said what impacts him the most is letters from those who are struggling to live on just Social Security income and veterans who struggle with the VA and receiving benefits.
Gallaudet University recognized Trainor’s feature on Politico and said he is an alumnus, graduating in 1991.
An Instagram post from the Obama White House explained that Trainor grew up in Minnesota and attended the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf. He was hired at the White House while he was a student at Gallaudet.
So this is who Gregg Trainor is, a long-time deaf White House employee.