White House staff and journalists evacuated their workspaces for a scheduled fire alarm during the first impeachment hearing hosted by the House Judiciary Committee.
President Trump was out of town while alarms blared, forcing a couple dozen reporters away from televisions and onto the White House driveway.
White House staff who work in the adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office Building also evacuated onto West Executive Avenue near the West Wing.
White House spokesman Judd Deere told the Washington Examiner the evacuation was a “fire drill.” He was not able to provide details on when it was planned.
At the White House, the press has evacuated for a fire alarm #ImpeachingHearings pic.twitter.com/NWfMHW26Up
— Steven Nelson (@stevennelson10) December 4, 2019
The alarm caught many journalists off-guard. Most could not recall a similar evacuation of workspaces.
The evacuation was over within about 10 minutes, but social media users raised questions about the timing. “Trumps trying to clear house, literally!!!” one wrote. “That’s not at all sketchy. This is what it’s come to,” wrote another.
The House Judiciary Committee panel features three law professors requested by Democrats and one requested by Republicans. Trump is in London for a gathering of world leaders.
Journalists work in cramped quarters between the White House briefing room and the White House residence. A basement level that once included a White House swimming pool periodically fills with smoke when cigarettes light a large outdoor ashtray on fire, without triggering an alarm.
All clear at the White House. Reporters (and staff at EEOB) are returning indoors pic.twitter.com/MtYn9MIerD
— Steven Nelson (@stevennelson10) December 4, 2019
