Uncle Joe locked out of the White House after sacking the butler

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill were momentarily left standing in the cold on Inauguration Day after the front doors of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue weren't opened for them – a breach of protocol caused by the firing of the chief usher of the White House hours earlier.

With the world watching on, the 46th US President and his wife walked up the steps of their new home for the first time on Wednesday, as a small crowd of family members followed behind.

The couple posed for photos outside the large wooden doors of the North Portico, waiving to the crowd as a military band played ‘Hail to the Chief’ nearby.

For an awkward but fleeting period of around 10 seconds, Biden stares puzzlingly at the door before turning back to shoot a confused look at his approaching family members.

Eventually the doors swing open, though it’s unclear whether Jill and Joe were forced to open them themselves, or whether someone on the inside finally notice the mistake.

It remains unclear exactly what caused the delay, though the firing of the chief usher of the White House, Timothy Harleth, likely had a part to play.