Many perks come with being the president or part of the First Family. But there are also many rules and traditions that they must follow like those before them. You can't do what you like just because you're the most powerful man in the country.
Not all of these rules are imposed strictly as many are tradition. But there are a few that are expected to be upheld even by the president himself. Some of these are things that Melania Trump took for granted before she moved in.
No Open Windows!
Here's a fairly straightforward and bizarre one. It might be strange to the public that no windows in the White House are allowed to be opened but everything is there for a reason, including the rules.
Michel Obama remembers while she was in the White House that she really missed being able to catch the breeze on a windy day. She even told Ellen DeGeneres in jest that she would spend her first year in the White House "hanging out the window."
War
The President may have an immense amount of power when it comes down to it. But one thing that they're not allowed to do is declare war on another nation. Only Congress is allowed to declare war if it's necessary.
War has only been declared by Congress 11 times to date. The first declaration of war was against Great Britain back in 1812. Right now there may be many conflicts but there's no war declared yet.
Moving In
The First Family can't get any help with moving their things into the White House, they can pick a moving company and get them to deliver the items, but they aren't allowed to set a foot inside the White House.
Only staff and guests are allowed inside the White House. When the truck gets to the property it has to stop and unload everything right where they are. This is the same for when a First Family moves out of the White House.
Driving
Another weird rule is that the family is not allowed to drive at all! They can't use public roads, this is all for their own safety. Lyndon B. Johnson was the last president to have the privilege of driving on a public road.
At least the president and the First Family can still drive on public roads or close courses if they want to. George W. Bush would drive his flatbed truck on his ranch in Crawford. Ronald Reagan had a jeep and would drive that around his property in Santa Barbara.
Interior Decorating
There is no formal interior decorator for the White House. That job falls on the first lady. She has to hire one of her choice and normally that process happens very quickly.
Whoever she hires will organize the White House as she sees fit. But certain rooms can't be tampered with, like the historical rooms. A curator will look after those rooms and make sure everything is safe.
6. The Football
Wherever the president goes, "The Football" will follow him. This is the nickname for a mysterious briefcase that has to stay by his side at all times. There's speculation as to what's inside but no one knows for sure.
Everybody assumes it's launch codes for a nuclear strike in case America is attacked. The president could then fight back at a moment's notice. The briefcase weighs a hefty 45 pounds so it's anyone's guess what's inside.
Easter Egg Celebration
Annually, the White House hosts a traditional event that dates back to 1878. Children are invited there to roll easter eggs with a spoon across the lawn of the White House.
The event happens every Easter Sunday and it's only ever canceled if there's a war going on or if there are major renovations on the property. First Lady Nancy Reagan started a tradition where everyone who attends will receive a wooden easter egg.
Decoration Restrictions
The First Family doesn't actually have full reign over the decor of the White House like you'd imagine. Apparently, some parts feel more like a museum and have to be kept exactly like they are.
The Oval Office, the Lincoln Bedroom, and some other places are historical and cannot be changed. Some places can be changed but only after permission is given from the historical committee that watches over the White House.
The Beast
With the amazing new house you get when you become president, you also get an amazing car! The car is called "The Beast," "Cadillac One," or the "First Car." But it's not really a car anymore.
The car feels like a tank, it has customary bulletproof windows, its own oxygen system in case of a chemical attack, and very thick armor plating designed to shrug off a bomb.
Christmas Tree Tradition
First Lady Jackie Kennedy started the tradition of Christmas tree themes all the way back in 1961 and it continues through to today. Her first Christmas tree theme was based on Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” during her husband’s first year in office.
The tradition stuck around and every year there is a new theme that is chosen by the first lady herself. Themes have included “American Flower Tree,” “Antique Toy,” “Mother Goose,” and others. In 2017, First Lady Melania Trump chose a theme called “Time-Honored Traditions.”
11. January 20th
Every time a new president is elected, January 20th becomes an auspicious day in the White House. The president isn’t allowed to move in until the exact day, as their predecessor still resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue until January 19.
The new First Family is only given a total of 12 hours to move into the White House, mainly for security reasons. The Obamas reportedly only took five short hours to fully move out of the White House. That might be a record!
12. Food
Being the president of the United States might seem to some like a cushy job but that would be wrong. Presidents don’t just live off the tax payer’s money. They have to pay for their own food, toiletries, dry cleaning and other personal items and services.
As the saying goes, there’s no such things as a free lunch. Oh, and the White House kitchen staff have their own official Instagram page, just in case you want to check out what they’re cooking for the White House staff and the First Family.
13. Turkey Pardons
The National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is a ceremony that dates all the way back to the 1940s, but it wasn’t until Ronald Reagan that a turkey was “pardoned” although technically he didn’t actually use that word.
The very first official pardon from a president was in 1999 when President Bill Clinton pardoned ‘Harry the Turkey.’ Even though it’s a relatively new tradition it is certainly expected that the sitting president pardons a turkey on Thanksgiving.
14. Constantly Under Surveillance
Once you become a member of the First Family, you lose certain liberties, like being able to go where you want when you want by yourself. Once you’re part of the first family, you are under constant surveillance by the secret service.
The secret service is tasked with guarding the president, their family, as well as the vice-president’s family. No matter what you’re doing or where you’re doing it, if you’re part of the first family, you are always being watched.
15. No iPhones
Another downfall of being the president is that you don’t have access to all the newest and latest technology. The reason? Like just about everything else, security. The very first president to own a smartphone was President Barack Obama.
Obama was allowed to keep a Blackberry during his presidency but it was so heavily modified by the secret service that it was hard to still call it a smartphone. “Does your three-year-old have one of those play phones? That’s basically the phone I got,” Obama said.
16. Decoration Budget
Presidents can’t just go all out on the redecorating of the White House. They are allotted a budget of $100,000 and anything over that comes directly out of their own pockets. The humble Carters reportedly did use all of the then budget of $50,000.
The Reagans turned down the offer and redecorated with their own money. Meanwhile the Clintons and Obamas spent around the same amount as the Carters. But none of those figures compares to the Kennedy’s full restoration of the famous house. Including today’s inflation, they spent $16.4 million on the project!
17. Convertibles
Not only can the president not drive on public roads, there are also certain types of vehicles that they cant ride in. One type of car you won’t see a president riding around in anymore is a convertible.
Ever since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in the back seat of a convertible, they have been off limits for any sitting president. Read on to find out what other rules the first family and the president must follow.
18. Secure Lines
Another rule that the president always must follow is to make calls only from secure lines. No matter whether the call is personal or private, it must be done on a secure line. This is a very important rule.
All incoming and outgoing calls made by the president are made on a secure line for national security reasons. “Because the smartphones of high-level government officials — including the President — are obvious targets for foreign intelligence services, the government goes to significant effort to ensure that government-issued smartphones are constantly updated to address security vulnerabilities,” one White House expert stated.
19. Plan, Plan, Plan
When you’re the president almost every waking minute of your day is planned in advance. And just try to squeeze in something that wasn’t on the schedule! The secret service probably wont let you, not unless you inform them four hours ahead of time.
Once, President Obama reportedly tried to organize an impromptu basketball game but was stopped by the secret service because he didn’t inform them four hours ahead of time. The secret service needs time to make sure that there is zero threat to the president’s life.
20. Correspondents’ Dinner
It’s not a rule that the president must show up to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, but it is a long-held tradition that they show up for some light-hearted humor at their own expense. The event is generally attended by journalists, comedians, athletes and pop culture icons.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is a celebration of the First Amendment, you know, the one guaranteeing free speech so the president often gets roasted. There are also scholarships and awards given out at the event, which are funded by the admission fees.
21. Earning Extra Money
One thing that the president is forbidden from doing is earning an additional income outside of their government salary. So you’re not going to be seeing the president moonlighting anytime soon. A sitting president earns $400,000 a year.
Also, if the president owns a business they must take a hands-off approach to how it is run. Generally, they leave the business in someone else’s hands. If they have investments (which almost every president does) it must go into a blind trust during their tenure as president.
22. Social Media
Social media accounts for the first children are generally very limited. Sasha and Malia Obama were not allowed to open Twitter accounts and had very limited access to Facebook. While it might be an honor to be part of the first family, it can’t be easy not being allowed to do stuff other kids do.
“I still am not a big believer in Facebook for young people … particularly for them, because they’re in the public eye. Some of it’s stuff they don’t need to see and be a part of … So we try to protect them from too much of the public voice,” Michelle Obama said.
23. Secret Service
After the assassination of President McKinley in 1901, Congress passed a law that officially charged the secret service with protecting the president and their family. The secret service also protects the vice president’s family and the president-elect and vice president-elect in the event of an election year.
It may, however, surprise you to hear that certain family members can refuse the protection of the secret service. For example, Donald Trump Jr. gave up his right to be protected by the secret service back in September of 2017.
24. Car Windows
Apart from being chauffeured around in an armored vehicle, the first family is also never allowed to open a car window. On the rare occasion that a window is opened, its usually always on private property away from the public’s eye.
“One day as a treat, my lead agent let me have the windows open on the way to Camp David. It was like five minutes out, and he was like, ‘The window’s open. Enjoy it!’ I was like, ‘Thanks, Alan,'” Michelle Obama recalled.
25. The First Ladies
After an election, it is a tradition that the incoming and outgoing first ladies sit down to meet, usually over a cup of tea at the White House. Most recently, that occurred when outgoing first lady Michelle Obama met with Melania Trump to discuss life in the White House.
The two reportedly discussed raising children in the White House specifically. That certainly can’t be easy. Michelle Obama also gave Melania Trump a private tour of the White House before going to the Oval Office to meet their respective husbands.
26. Breaking The Law
While the president may appear to be above the law, considering that the president is the person who signs bills into law, they are not allowed to break the law. When it comes to breaking the law, they are like any other average citizen.
Should a sitting president break the law during their term in office then Congress maintains the right to deal with it accordingly. The House of Representatives can move to impeach a president while the Senate can have the president taken to court, just like any other citizen.
27. A Presidential Funeral
One of the first things a president must do when taking office is plan for their funeral. “It may sound shocking, but during the first week of moving into the White House, the president is asked to plan his or her funeral should anything occur during their presidency,” George W. Bush’s deputy assistant said.
A presidential funeral is a huge ordeal full of choreographed ceremonies and generally lasts for around five days. A total of eight US presidents have died while in office. Four of them were assassinated. Being the leader of the free world is no easy task and makes you a target for many.
28. The Annual Hanukkah Party
While not technically a rule, it has become tradition for the president to host an annual Hanukkah party. The tradition began in 1979 while President Jimmy Carter was in office. Carter lit the menorah on the Ellipse, a park just south of the White House.
President George W. Bush was the very first president to ever light the Hanukkah menorah in the White House itself in 2001. The tradition is continued through to this day. Read on to find out more rules and long-standing traditions that the first family is expected to uphold.
29. The Grand Piano
While the First Family is allowed to redecorate most of the rooms in the White House there are certain items that can never be moved, such as the famous grand piano. It can be played, but it cannot be moved.
There is a White House curator on staff to make sure that certain historical artifacts and art are taken care of and preserved, a task that can prove difficult especially if there are young children residing in the White House.