On 20 January 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. This means he moved back into the White House alongside his wife Melania Trump. For an outsider, life inside the White House probably seems like its filled with luxuries and perks, but there are strict rules that need to be followed—even by the president and their family.
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They are not allowed to open the windows
In 2015, First Lady Michelle Obama appeared on The Late Night Show With Stephen Colbert, where she explained a rule that annoyed her as First Lady. When the host asked her what she was looking forward to the most once her second term came to an end, she gave an unexpected answer. The former First Lady responded:
I want to do little things like, you know, open a window.
Indeed, presidents, their spouses and their children, are not allowed to open windows in the White House, as well as in their cars, to ensure their safety at all times. In another interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama recalled the special time when she discovered about the surprising rule. She explained:
In the White House you can't open a window. Sasha opened her window once — there were calls. 'Shut the window!' It never opened again.
They have to cover their own expenses
Although presidents and their families do not need to pay rent while they live in the White House, they are expected to cover their personal expenses, including meals, dry-cleaning, and moving costs. Former First Lady Laura Bush explained in her memoir, which was released after she left the White House, that living in the president's home was not cheap. She wrote:
There were some costs that I was not prepared for. I was amazed by the sheer number of designer clothes that I was expected to buy, like the women before me, to meet the expectations for a first lady.
Presidential children and their parents are not allowed to feast on expensive meals too often. Indeed, they are expected to pay for extra costs themselves. In 2018, First Lady Michelle Obama explained on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show:
They let you get whatever you want. Like if you say you want some exotic fruit, 'Yes ma'am, we'll get that right away,' and then you get the bill for a peach and it's like, that was a $500 peach!
They are not allowed to keep foreign gifts
Presidents and their families seem to live luxurious lives, but they are not allowed to keep gifts given to them by foreign dignitaries over a certain price limit. Any present over $375 given to the president or his family is immediately evaluated by the National Archives, and it is considered government property.
Presidents are not allowed to drive
Speaking to presenter Jay Leno, former president George W. Bush explained one rule in particular felt like the worst for him. Indeed, while he was a guest on CNBC'sJay Leno's Garage, the politician revealed he had not driven a car on a public road in nearly 25 years. George W. Bush is free to drive around his private property, a 90-acre tree farm, but that's it. Indeed, presidents are not allowed to drive themselves once they are elected. Driving your children to school is one of life's little pleasures that many parents enjoy, but presidents are not allowed to do that, even after they move out of the White House, for safety reasons.
Current and former presidents, as well as vice presidents, have not been allowed to drive themselves since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, while riding in a convertible. Lyndon Johnson was the last president to drive around on public roads. When Joe Biden was Vice President, he told the audience of the 2014 United Auto Workers conference:
There are a lot of reasons to run for president, but there’s one overwhelming reason not to run for president. I like to get that [Corvette] Z06 from zero to 60 in 3.4 seconds.
Rules the first children need to follow
The president's children have to abide by certain rules that forbid them from living normal teenage lives. For example, they are not allowed to have public social media accounts.
They are also forbidden from riding in cars on public roads without their Secret Service agents. However, one exception was made when Barack and Michelle Obama allowed their youngest daughter to be driven by her prom date for their school dance, although the car was closely followed by the Secret Services. Since presidents and their spouses are not allowed to drive themselves either, this means their children can never ride alone with their parents.
Presidential children are also not allowed to go anywhere with their secret agents, at least until they are 16 years old.
The president's children cannot go to public schools either. Private schools are entrusted with the children's safety, and they usually cost about $40,000 a year. The last presidential children to attend a public school was Jimmy Carter's daughter Amy. To defend his decision, the former president explained he judged 'exclusive private schools that allow the children of the political and economic elite to avoid public schools that are considered dangerous or inferior'.
Read more:
Donald Trump: All of the President’s TV and film appearances over the years
Donald Trump's faith: Which Christian denomination does the President-elect follow?
Donald Trump's wealth: This is how much the future US president will earn every month
Sources used:
Marie Claire: 50 Strict Rules and Traditions the First Family Is *Supposed* to Follow
HomeTalk: Little-Known Rules the President and First Family Must Follow
Huffpost: Michelle Obama Just Wants To Open Her Windows, Darn It
CNN: White House living not total free ride
CNBC: Past presidents agree, this surprising rule is one of the worst parts of running the country
The List: Things Presidents' Children Can't Do When They're In The White House
