Art, obsession, and identity
The First Lady of the United States may not be a politician, but she still has lots to do. Throughout history, the role of the first lady has evolved with each new administration. Modern-day women in this position are responsible for high-profile events, like state dinners and the White House holiday celebrations. And while some of these expectations are straightforward, other rules are more surprising. Also, controversially, first ladies aren't paid for their work in the White House, even though it's a full-time job.
Click on to learn more about the rules you didn't know First Ladies have to follow.
While they're allowed to add personal touches to the family living quarters on the second and third floors, historic rooms, like the Lincoln Room, are off-limits.
Gifts from foreign governments belong to the US. The National Archives and Records Administration keeps the gift and places it in a Presidential Library. If the president or first lady want to keep the gift, they have to purchase it.
Most often, this role is filled by the president's wife, but that's not always the case. In several instances where presidents were bachelors or widowers, female relatives stepped in.
After a new president is elected, the outgoing first lady welcomes the first lady-to-be to the White House with a tour.
A tradition that formally started with Lady Bird Johnson, the first lady is expected to adopt a social cause to promote. Johnson dedicated herself to environmental protection.
Most first ladies tend to choose social causes that aren't politically divisive. Melania Trump's cause was cyberbullying awareness, while Michelle Obama's was reducing childhood obesity.
Everyone aspires to have a Pinterest-worthy Christmas tree, but the first lady has a whole other level of pressure. A tradition that started with Jackie Kennedy in 1961, she went with the Nutcracker Suite for the tree.
To honor diplomatic ties between the host and guest countries, a state dinner is held, and the first lady is the hostess of this dinner. She oversees everything from seating arrangements to the entertainment to the flowers.
Security is always taken very seriously, and that extends to something as seemingly small as opening a window, even in a car.
First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln began the tradition, and after presidents leave office, certain pieces from their china collection are put on display in the White House's china room.
Jackie Kennedy reportedly disliked the title of "first lady," because she found it demeaning and thought it sounded "like a saddle horse." Instead, she asked the White House staff to call her "Mrs. Kennedy."
The egg roll traditionally falls on first ladies, each incorporating her own tastes and interests into the event.
Although previous presidents had paid tribute to the holiday, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush hosted the first official White House Hanukkah party in 2001. The tradition continues to this day.
If a designer gifts an outfit to the president or first lady, it can only be worn once and has to be donated afterward. For example, Melania Trump and Michelle Obama both donated their inauguration gowns to the Smithsonian.
Melania Trump didn't move into the White House immediately after Donald Trump's inauguration. The Trumps said that this was so she could stay with their son Barron and allow him to finish the remainder of his school year in New York.
Both Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama have said in interviews that during their time in the White House, they missed being able to drive themselves. Even after leaving the White House, Michelle said the Secret Service didn't allow her to drive her own car.
In 2013, Barack Obama signed a law establishing lifetime Secret Service protection for all former US presidents and first ladies.
According to federal law, the president can't decline Secret Service protection while in office, but the first lady can.
Presidents and their spouses get a security detail for life, but federal law states that "protection of a spouse shall terminate in the event of remarriage."
The White House Correspondents' Dinner is an annual event for the journalists who cover the White House and the president. Traditionally attended by both the president and first lady, Donald and Melania Trump were the first presidential couple to skip the event in 30 years.
First Ladies Sarah Polk, Eleanor Roosevelt and Bess Truman all had jobs while their husbands were in office, according to the National First Ladies' Library. Since 2009, Jill Biden has been a professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College, a job she has held as first and second lady of the nation.
Hillary Clinton famously went on to have a political career after her husband's presidency, but as first lady she worked as the chair of the President's Task Force on National Health Care Reform.
For modern-day presidents and first ladies, social media is a valuable tool for public engagement, and you can find them on social media platforms like Instagram and X.
The official Twitter, now X, account for the First Lady of the United States, @FLOTUS, was passed from Michelle Obama to Melania Trump in 2017. It was then passed down to Jill Biden in 2021.
Just like everyone else, the president's family is expected to pay for items like food, clothing, and toiletries. The first lady actually receives an itemized bill in the middle of every month.
In 2020, Melania Trump came under scrutiny after reports that she had used a personal email account to discuss items related to the presidential administration.
Because the White House is filled with valuable furniture and artwork, it's often referred to as a "museum." Jackie Kennedy saw it this way, so she planned a program to preserve its history. She restored public rooms in the mansion and collected art. She also started the White House Historical Association to publish information on White House history.
There doesn't seem to be an official rule about this, but Jackie Kennedy lived in the White House for just a couple of weeks after JFK's assassination. Shortly after his funeral, she sent a letter to Lyndon B. Johnson in which she wrote, "It mustn't be very much help to you your first day in office – to hear children on the lawn at recess. It is just one more example of your kindness that you let them stay – I promise – they will soon be gone."
When a former president dies, there are several rules and traditions that determine how the country will honor them. But when a former first lady dies, the sitting president decides the appropriate way to mourn her. Funerals or memorials tend to be smaller and more private.
Sources: (Good Housekeeping) (The List)
See also: From alcoholism to assassination: How every US President died
Surprising rules and traditions US First Ladies must follow
They have a lot of responsibilities in the White House!
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The First Lady of the United States may not be a politician, but she still has lots to do. Throughout history, the role of the first lady has evolved with each new administration. Modern-day women in this position are responsible for high-profile events, like state dinners and the White House holiday celebrations. And while some of these expectations are straightforward, other rules are more surprising. Also, controversially, first ladies aren't paid for their work in the White House, even though it's a full-time job.
Click on to learn more about the rules you didn't know First Ladies have to follow.