The first lady isn't free to do as she pleases. There are certain rules she must follow to
keep with tradition and stay in public favor. As glamorous as the position may seem to you
now, you may think otherwise after seeing all the weird rules the first lady is forced
to follow.
First ladies have the daunting job of decorating the White House once they move in. However,
they can only add personal touches to the spaces in which they live: mainly the second
and third floors of the house. Historic rooms, like the Lincoln Room, are untouchable.
Kate Andersen Brower, who wrote First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First
Ladies, explained it to ABC News this way:
"Some parts are essentially historic rooms and belong to the American people, not to
the families who live there."
First ladies also have to keep up with what needs to be refurbished in the public spaces
of the White House. If the president or first lady wants to make changes to the public rooms,
approval is needed from the Committee for the Preservation of the White House.
"Isn't that the famous Gilbert Stewart portrait of George Washington?"
"That's right. That's the oldest thing in the White House — the only thing that was
here since the very beginning."
An amazing perk of decorating the White House is access to the confidential warehouse full
of past White House furniture. The first lady can choose from this storehouse, and she can
also hire an interior designer to help her pick out new furniture and decor.
No gifts, please
You'd think that gifts given to the president and first lady would be theirs to keep. The
truth is that presents from foreign governments belong to the United States, according to
the Congressional Research Service. The National Archives and Records Administration keeps
the gift, and it later goes to a Presidential Library. If the president or first lady wants
to keep the gift, they can purchase it.
As the publication detailed, Nancy and Ronald Reagan were gifted two live eagles from the
German chancellor in the 1970s. The Reagans also received a horse from Mexican President
José López Portillo. Those gifts may have been a little trickier to store.
There is an exception to this rule, though. The first lady is allowed to accept domestic
gifts, according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The first lady can do what she pleases
with these gifts, and she doesn't have to pay for them in order to keep them. Nevertheless,
these presents go through significant security screenings before reaching the president's
wife. Nothing is simple when you're the first lady.
Michelle Obama admitted to Oprah Winfrey in an interview that in the White House, you
can't open a window. As she recalled,
"Sasha opened her window once — there were calls. 'Shut the window!' It never opened
again."
Sounds intense!
Security is always taken very seriously, and that extends to something as seemingly small
as opening a window — even in a car. Michelle Obama told Stephen Colbert [kol-BARE] on Late
Show about this strict rule, and how hard it is to get exceptions to it. Isn't the First
Lady supposed to be powerful?
"One day as a treat, my lead agent let me have the windows open on the way to Camp David."
After visiting Melania Trump, French First Lady Brigitte Macron told Le Monde,
"She can't even open a window at the White House. She can't go outside. She's much more
constrained than I am. I go out every day in Paris."
As if we needed a reminder that life in Paris is a dream. Even our First Ladies would apparently
have it better there.
Basically everyone who celebrates Christmas aspires to have a Pinterest-worthy Christmas
tree, but the first lady has a whole other level of pressure on her to make her trees
beautiful. First Lady Jackie Kennedy started the tradition of themed Christmas trees in
the Blue Room at the White House. In 1961, she decorated a tree with a Nutcracker theme,
according to the White House Historical Association.
Barbara Bush also went with a Nutcracker theme in 1990. Following in her footsteps, Hillary
Clinton chose to decorate her tree based on "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" in 1995.
In 2010, Michelle Obama opted for a "Gift of the American Spirit" theme. Melania Trump
chose the theme "The Spirit of America" for Christmas 2019. This theme included two pink
and gold trees as a tribute to past first ladies.
The Christmas tree in the Blue Room isn't the only Christmas decoration in the White
House. Mamie Eisenhower [MAY-me EYE-zin-how-er] was extra — she had 26 trees up while she
was there. Her record was beat by Hillary Clinton, who had 37 trees put up. Melania
Trump went further still and put up 41 trees along with smaller topiary trees.
Gifts are usually given to the first lady when a foreign government visits the White
House. In honor of these foreign friends, a state dinner is also held. The first lady
is the hostess of this dinner. According to the White House Historical Association,
"The First Lady and her staff are responsible for the elaborate planning and attention behind
the glitter and ceremony of the state dinner. These formal dinners involve the creation
of invitations and guest lists, menus, flowers, table settings, seating arrangements and entertainment
for the evening."
Luckily for the first lady, she has chefs on hand to make the food. According to the
White House Museum, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower liked to choose the menu for dinners. Some
first ladies, like Pat Nixon, were more hands-off.
In 2012, Michelle Obama also started a Kids' State Dinner. Children from every state were
invited to showcase healthy recipes they created and the winning dishes were served. At the
second annual Kids' State Dinner, then-First Lady Michelle Obama told attendees,
"This is what it's like to be a part of an official state dinner. We mirrored it exactly
to what people experience when we host world leaders here."
A first lady's job is never done. As the National Museum of American History says, first ladies
are, quote, "hostesses for the nation and the presidential administrations." As part
of her responsibilities as the nation's premier hostess, she is expected to plan a fun event
for kids at the White House every year: the Easter Egg Roll.
The White House website describes the first lady's role at the event, saying,
"The planning of the egg roll traditionally falls on first ladies, each incorporating
her own tastes and interests to the event."
The site goes on to give examples:
"First Lady Lou Hoover had part of the South Lawn roped off for folk dancing. First Lady
Pat Nixon introduced the traditional egg roll races."
In 1981, Nancy Reagan started the tradition of giving children wooden Easter eggs. These
eggs had signatures from famous people scrawled across them. Reagan's plans for her Easter
Egg Rolls also included balloons from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Broadway
show performances.
Every year, celebrities and journalists attend the White House correspondents' dinner. It's
usually hosted by a comedian, and the president makes some jokes of his own as well, as Barack
Obama demonstrated in 2016. The dinner is held by the White House Correspondents' Association,
which describes the purpose behind the event as a way to, quote, "salute the First Amendment"
and "honor award-winning journalism."
"You know, there's a term for guys like President Obama. Probably not two terms, but there is."
The association's website goes on to explain that dinner is traditionally attended by both
the president and his wife, the first lady.
The first dinner was held in 1921, though the first president to attend one — Calvin
Coolidge — only showed up in 1924. According to ABC News, it was in the 1980s that the
dinner started to include big name celebrities and after-parties.
Despite attendance being considered pretty much mandatory, First Lady Melania Trump and
President Donald Trump have broken this unspoken rule, and never attended the event while in
office.
Weeks before the newly-elected president and his family move into the White House, the
first lady-to-be meets the current first lady, according to Kate Andersen Brower, author
of First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies. The women get together
for a personal tour of the White House, and the author notes that these meetings are often
tense. Betty Ford said it this way:
"No matter who follows you, you know they didn't deserve to be there."
Ouch.
Not every interaction between first ladies has been negative, though. According to Brower,
Barbara Bush showed Hillary Clinton a window in the White House that overlooks the Rose
Garden and the Oval Office. Clinton then showed it to Laura Bush on her tour. Laura Bush continued
the tradition years later for Michelle Obama.
Choosing a social cause is among the most well-known tasks that tradition assigns to
the first lady. She finds a cause that she is passionate about and uses it to help the
public.
The National Women's History Museum revealed that First Lady Dolley Madison started this
tradition back in the 1800s. She supported charities that helped orphans. Since then,
first ladies have found causes to promote. Usually, these causes focus on helping the
nation's children. Eleanor Roosevelt also defined this role for the first lady by being
the first one to have press conferences and her own staff.
In more recent years, Michelle Obama created the Let's Move! initiative to encourage kids
to be active. Her initiative taught children about healthy eating and exercise. Obama also
started Let Girls Learn to fight for education for teen girls around the world.
First Lady Melania Trump named her initiative "Be Best." Her focus is on helping children
use social media wisely and live healthily. She also aims to help families impacted by
the opioid crisis.
The first lady is really the ultimate influencer — and advocating for causes is one of the
best ways she can use her influential power.
Being the first lady means you get everything for free, right? Actually, the president and
his family have to pay for personal expenses, according to CNN. This includes food and clothing.
The first lady actually receives an itemized bill in the middle of every month. Nancy Reagan
was caught off guard by this practice. She is quoted as saying,
"Nobody had told us that the president and his wife are charged for every meal, as well
as for such incidentals as dry cleaning, toothpaste and other toiletries."
ABC News reported that Hillary Clinton said she struggled financially after living in
the White House, claiming to the news outlet,
"We came out of the White House not only dead broke, but in debt."
Clinton partially attributed the family's money problems to a variety of legal fees.
In a 2015 interview with Stephen Colbert, the comedian asked Michelle Obama what she
wanted to do after leaving the White House. And her answer was clear:
"I want to go to Target! I want to drive!"
Even after Barack Obama was out of office, though, Michelle still couldn't drive. She
told People in an interview,
"No driving for me. We still live in a bubble."
Hillary Clinton can relate to Michelle's woes. She told the National Automobile Dealers Association
in 2014 that she hadn't driven a car since 1996. She 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."
It's just one of the sacrifices First Ladies make to stay in the spotlight.
It seems like no one uses fancy china anymore, but the White House is the exception. First
Lady Mary Todd Lincoln started the tradition of picking out the White House china pattern
in 1861. Having grown up in a family that often entertained important people, including
politicians, the first lady considered formal dining important.
First Lady Caroline Harrison enjoyed painting china as a hobby and, in 1879, First Lady
Lucy Hayes worked with an artist to create unique china in different shapes and painted
with flowers. The pieces looked more like art than dinnerware, which was criticized
by some art critics of the time. First Lady Ida McKinley was the first first lady who
started the custom of displaying past White House china in the White House, whereas Edith
Roosevelt had a special cabinet made to store the china.
There is now a whole room to house the china; Mamie Eisenhower supervised its completion
back in the 1950s. She made sure that china from every president's term was included.
The first lady is often seen as a fashion icon, but it can be a pricey role to play.
Laura Bush wrote in her memoir,
"I was amazed by the sheer number of designer clothes that I was expected to buy, like the
women before me, to meet the fashion expectations for a first lady."
The first lady is required to pay for her designer gowns unless she donates them after
one wear. First Lady Nancy Reagan caused lots of controversy when she broke this rule by
accepting and keeping designer gowns without paying for them. She later decided to donate
some to museums, but continued to receive designer clothes as loans.
Michelle Obama's press secretary told the Associated Press that the former first lady
was often given clothes by designers as a donation to wear for official government events,
but clothes are then given to the National Archives to keep. It can't be easy to part
with all the stuff, but no one ever said being First Lady was a free ride.
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