It's no surprise that the first family needs to follow a certain code of conduct while
living in the White House. They can pick their own bedding and repaint certain rooms when
they move in, for example, but they cannot touch the historic Lincoln Room or the Yellow
Oval Room. They also have to pay for every meal they eat in the White House or Camp David,
as noted in former first lady Laura Bush's post-White House memoir.
Former first lady Michelle Obama has also been open about the rules she and her family
had to follow when they moved into the White House back in 2008. While chatting with Oprah
Winfrey at the United State of Women Summit in 2016, she recalled when she and her youngest
daughter Sasha learned the hard way about the closed-window policy.
"Sasha opened her window once. There were calls. 'Shut the window!' It never opened
again."
Likewise, when a president leaves office, they are also bound by a set of rules – mainly
for security reasons. However, the rules don't only apply to a former president, but a former
first lady, as well. Over the years, former first ladies have shared some insight into
what it's like living as the president's wife, but what happens to them after?
At this point, Melania Trump is probably accustomed to getting driven and flown privately to various
destinations. Luckily for her, she won't need to give that deal up after Donald Trump's
presidency ends. According to former first ladies, their days of driving are long over,
as long as they maintain Secret Service protection, which is for a lifetime, if they so choose.
Michelle Obama told Stephen Colbert in a 2015 interview that driving was on her list of
things she'd like to do after leaving the White House, but unfortunately, the family's
Secret Service agents won't allow it. She told People magazine in 2018,
"No driving for me. We still live in a bubble. If we had a farm somewhere, maybe I could
drive around it."
Former first lady Hillary Clinton seemingly shares Michelle's frustration, telling the
National Automobile Dealers Association in 2014 that she had not been behind the wheel
since 1996. Clinton said,
"I've always enjoyed stories about cars and adventures and I have to confess that one
of the regrets I have about my public life is that I can't drive anymore."
Beyond not driving, what other rules will Melania have to follow? Well, before one first
family leaves the White House and a new first family enters, the wives from both sides get
together, according to Kate Andersen Brower, author of First Women: The Grace and Power
of America's Modern First Ladies. Traditionally, the outgoing and incoming first ladies meet
for a house tour, where the current first lady shares some notes about residing in the
historical home.
According to Brower, there has been a sweet tradition in the "hand off" of the house.
Case in point? Barbara Bush reportedly brought Hillary Clinton to a window in the first lady's
dressing room that overlooks the Rose Garden and the Oval Office. Hillary then showed it
to Laura Bush on her tour, and Laura apparently did the same for Michelle Obama.
Considering the fact that, as of the making of this video, Donald Trump has not yet conceded,
there is no telling whether Melania Trump will continue the house tour tradition. If
Melania does decide to show her home to its new resident, Joe Biden's wife, Jill Biden,
they will be touring the premises before the end of January 2021.
While Melania was in the public eye long before entering the White House, her life was even
more heavily watched as first lady and wife to the controversial 45th President of the
United States. With that being said, it seems fair to assume her privacy might not be fully
restored after she exits the White House in 2021.
For their own protection, Donald and Melania will receive Secret Service protection for
the rest of their lives, which comes with a significant loss of privacy. They could
opt out of this protection, as Richard Nixon did in his later years, but considering the
political climate coming out of the 2020 election, Trump will likely retain this protection indefinitely,
as most presidents have.
So what does it feel like to have this protection 24/7? Former Secret Service agent Jonathan
Wackrow said in a 2016 interview with NBC News,
"Secret Service protection is the most intrusive thing that anyone could ever experience. We
experience parts of your life, but we're also there in those private times when things aren't
good — family arguments, family loss. [...] We're there 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."
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