‘Bad ones went to the junk box’

Autistic LCC student handled mail for President Donald Trump

Xavier DeGroat looks back on ‘intense’ internship at White House

Posted

MONDAY, Feb. 8 — President Donald Trump often referred to Xavier DeGroat as “X-Man” during his three-month internship at the White House last year. And DeGroat, a 30-year-old Lansing Community College student, said he will remember Trump for his fierce “tenacity.”

“The president liked what I was doing. President Trump asked me questions about how I made it this far. He was also impressed with all of the people that I’ve met,” DeGroat told City Pulse.

DeGroat, 30, of Lansing, is in his third year studying for a communications degree at LCC. He said he met former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani at a golf outing in 2016 and ever since has levied those political connections to advocate for people with autism and other disabilities.

In September, DeGroat said his friendship with the mayor (who later turned Trump attorney) landed him an unpaid internship at the White House — mostly sorting through the thousands of letters that Trump received, writing thank-you notes and sending out autographed portraits.

“It was presidential correspondence, and I handled the management side of it,” DeGroat said. “Everyday I would read letters that were written to President Trump from constituents, asking for his help on stuff — whether that was following up on their stimulus checks or veterans benefits.”

This mailroom gig also carried a bit more prestige. DeGroat is reportedly the first person with autism to land an internship at the White House — a badge that he wears with high honors.

“I’m breaking barriers. And I’m not just doing this for myself, but also to inspire others — like being a loud man and speaking from your own heart rather than to let your disability stop you from doing something,” DeGroat added. “It’s for awareness and I also plan to publish a book.”

DeGroat was reserved about his political leanings. He supported most of Trump’s economic agenda and “parts” of his COVID-19 response plan, though he admits there were mistakes. And it was difficult to ignore the deluge of hate mail that found its way to Pennsylvania Avenue.

“Basically, I’m the one that received all the public requests and I would write back thanking them for what they’ve written,” DeGroat said. “If they were more threatening or serious, those would be put in a junk box or sent off to someone higher up to review. Bad ones went to the junk box.”

Friendly mail received DeGroat’s appreciation with Trump’s signature stamp. Some of the more meaningful responses included a signed photograph of Trump, but only for his most loyal fans.

“The ones that were like ‘Donald Trump, you fucked up our country’ or ‘You screwed this up,’ well, we just didn’t reply to those,” DeGroat said. “We were done with those. Some of them said ‘Donald Trump is a dictator.’ I’ve seen a lot like that. Others were thankful for the president.”

And while DeGroat didn’t interact with the leader of the free world on a daily basis, he said he managed to score a 30-minute sitdown with Trump and rubbed shoulders with several notable names, including Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Mike Pompeo and many other political elite.

Once time, DeGroat sat at Vice President Mike Pence’s desk as part of a private tour of the West Wing.

The brief Oval Office meeting also included discussions about homeland security and ways to make friendlier policies with the Transportation Security Administration — like a special area for travelers with autism to avoid the rush, noise and “intensity” of the screening process, he said.

DeGroat said Trump also signed a proclamation for World Autism Awareness Day in April after he asked that Giuliani forward the suggestion from his foundation, the Lansing-based nonprofit Xavier DeGroat Autism Foundation — formed to create and promote opportunities for people with autism through advocacy, education, economic opportunity and other humanitarian means.

After the results of the November election became clear, DeGroat said the White House went from “intense” to “very, very quiet.” Staffers were packing things away and searching for jobs. Some were upset that Trump lost. Others were just eager to find their next day job, he added.

“It was crazy. Most people didn’t know my personal relationship with Giuliani. I tried to keep that private for a lot of reasons — including my own safety. It got very crazy. Trump was intense. Rudy was intense. Everybody there was intense, but by December things got very, very quiet.”

DeGroat remembered near constant “chaos and craziness” throughout his internship, including being followed home after work one day. Secret Service agents later told him to stop wearing suit coats and White House insignia; DeGroat stopped riding public transportation altogether.

“We were afraid there would be protests against Trump, but also protests for Trump,” he said.

All told DeGroat estimates that he spent $25,000 during his three-month unpaid internship, but it’s a price he’d repay to rise “as high as you can go in the political leadership world,” he said. He said he hopes President Joe Biden’s administration will be just as inclusive and welcoming.

“Joe will meet with me somehow and Kamala Harris will too,” DeGroat added, noting he also plans to travel to Italy to meet with Pope Francis for another meeting on autism awareness.

“Right now, I’m also looking for a full-time job to get started in the public service world.”

Comments

2 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here

  • JoAnnB

    Im so excited to know TRUMP was the FIRST to put someone "like me" (Autistic) in a position in the White House. You can best believe I will be paying attention to this in ALL FUTURE Administrations. Congrats to You "X-Man" you part of "First" club at the White House. I also cant wait to see what YOU do next...

    Tuesday, February 9, 2021 Report this

  • ChrisBrown

    I'm sorry, Mr. Degroat, that you spent the unique opportunity of an internship with a leader like the previous president who early on made fun of a disabled reporter by physically mocking him during a speech , who admitted to grabbing women by their "pussies" to do whatever he wanted to them, who made policy which tore terrified toddlers and infants from their frightened parents and placed them in states around the country separating them, potentially, forever. For months, this man also incited riotous racist mobs of his supporters with lies, including white nationalist terrorists, to storm the capitol where several died and, thankfully, many of their (and his) targets including the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and other progressive members Congress escaped their vigilante "justice" the goal of which was to overturn a fair election Biden won, both through the electoral college process and the popular vote. Trump's misdeeds are well-known so no need to go over the many, many other instances of heinous behavior of a disturbed and selfish man with a hole where a heart would normally be, a thug ignorant of basic American government, twice impeached, and disliked more than any other president of this nation.

    Sorry Xavier, your association with Guliani and Trump is NOTHING to be proud of, indeed, an internship with any other political figure, of either party who has shown integrity, courage, and character would have served you better. Like lots of staffers from the previous White House, your association with a known money launderer, tax evader and other tax and insurance fraud crimes (ongoing criminal investigations in New York) , a sexual assaulter (cases now pending) and election "interferencer" (criminal investigation in Georgia, and potentially elsewhere) will not serve you in seeking a future career in politics or public service.

    Best to disavow yourself of this ugly person as soon as possible even though he signed a proclamation for World Autism Awareness Day when he could have done something really good from his powerful position, but what good did he do in his time in office? Just a lot of damage to our country and its people.

    Saturday, February 13, 2021 Report this




Connect with us