W. HOUSE STAFFERS’ HAIR CLUB
A secret barbershop
As COVID-19 lockdowns shuttered businesses across the nation in early 2020, West Wing aides began to sidle off into a downstairs bathroom in the next-door Eisenhower Executive Office Building for appointments with a black-market barber, The Post has learned. With barbers in downtown Washington closed under local orders, the underground operation kept then-President Donald Trump’s staff looking their best as they battled the pandemic.
The service was so popular that the Trump White House re-established an official barbershop in the office building after years without one — and it appears the Biden administration has kept it around.
The initial secret operation — a source of intrigue and humor among Trump’s staff — initially employed a female duo who sources say were recommended to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ wife, Debbie Meadows, by the wife of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
Four former White House aides said Meadows’ role in establishing the speakeasy barbershop was widely known to his staff.
Meadows “said he was bringing in this lady to cut hair [and] told people to e-mail Beau [Harrison] to book an appointment,” a former White House official told The Post, referring to the-then assistant to the president for operations.
The service was a hit, especially among young men in the White
House. One of the women operating out of the bathroom workspace cut hair. The other handled snacks and payment, which could amount to $60 or $70 with tip.
The assistant would insist on photos with nearly all of the customers, flattering them by declaring they were political celebrities.
The success of the unofficial system gave momentum to establishing an in-house barber by fall 2020.
The contract went to the nearby Wall’s Barber Shop, which was frequented by White House staff before it was closed by the pandemic.
Wall’s owner Dale Simmons told The Post that his sister, Makia, was cleared last year to cut hair at the White House office building. He plans to join her once the IRS clears his required paperwork.
A Trump White House alum said prices for the permanent in-house shop were $45 for a haircut, $25 for a shape-up and $15 for a beard trim. A different source said those numbers are subject to change.
Several White House staff recalled the barbershop being open around the Nov. 3 election.
One former White House staffer said male staffers, particularly those from New York, “would go there and they were all excited.”
Makia Simmons referred The Post’s questions to the White House press office. Harrison did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. An aide to Meadows declined to comment.