Strange traditions that she should respect until the end of her husband's presidency

The first lady is not allowed to open the windows of the White House or drive a car

  • Michelle Obama spoke with TV host Stephen Colbert about the changes and inconveniences she felt after becoming first lady.

    EPA

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As a partner of the most powerful leader in the United States, the American first lady often has to follow strict, sometimes outlandish, rules.

While some of these measures are clearly implemented for safety purposes, other responsibilities, such as selecting dinner plates for guests, are more of a tradition to avoid public backlash than it is an official rule.

And while the first lady certainly enjoys some respectable perks, there is still a long list of things she should be upset about and avoid.

Driving

Women who enjoy being behind the wheel perhaps should reconsider their dream of becoming first ladies. During her time as first lady, Michelle Obama spoke with TV host Stephen Colbert about the changes in her life and the inconveniences she felt after being named, saying that one of the things that vexed her life while staying in the White House was losing the joy of driving. The car, as this situation continued until the end of the presidency of her husband, Barack Obama. In an interview with People magazine, she discussed some of the drastic changes in the family's life that occurred during her husband's presidency. "I'm not saying I can drive my car," she said, "I'm still living in a bubble."

However, it appears that the first lady may get used to refraining from driving, even after she steps out of the White House, as an article in the Daily Mail revealed that former first lady Hillary Clinton has not driven a car since the late 1990s.

"The last time I drove myself was 1996 and I remember it very well," she said at a conference in 2014. "Unfortunately Secret Service agents may also be the reason why I haven't driven since then," she said at a conference in 2014.

Redecorating the White House

While first ladies are expected to decorate the White House when they first move in, there are still limits to what they do. According to ABC News, First Ladies can only renovate the areas in which they live, usually the second and third floors of the White House. In addition, certain historical areas are prohibited from decorating without consent. This includes the Oval Yellow Chamber, and the Lincoln Chamber. Kate Andersen Brewer, author of First Ladies: The Power of First Ladies in Modern America, explains that the reason certain places are decorated or modified is that “some parts of the White House are primarily historic rooms, and they belong to the American people, not to the families who live there.” ».

If the First Ladies or their families want changes to be made to any public areas, they must seek approval from the White House Preservation Committee.

However, although there are limits to what the First Lady can do in terms of decorating, she is nonetheless given a fair amount of freedom with residential space, and the best part is that these alterations don't cost them a cent, every four years. , Congress provides funding to support or renovate appropriate rooms as desired by the First Family.

open windows

In an interview with the famous American media, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama talked about a strange rule she experienced during her husband's presidential life in the White House, where she said: "In the White House, you can't open a window." She talked about her daughter (Sasha)'s decision to break the window to get some fresh air. She said, "You won't open it again." In another interview with Stephen Colbert on "The Late Show", the first lady admitted, "One day, which I took as a gift, my bodyguard allowed me to open the windows."

Similarly, French First Lady Brigitte Macron has commented on the limitations of living in the White House after her visit to former first lady, Melania Trump, the Guardian reported.

Mrs. Macron reportedly stated that the US first lady "can't do anything" before saying: "She can't even open windows in the White House, and she can't go out on her own.

She is much more constrained than me... I go out every day in Paris.”

Clearly, when it comes to security, the White House Secret Service never misses an opportunity to protect the first lady or her family, and that sometimes means sticking to some extreme measures.

• Mrs. Macron mentioned that the American first lady “cannot do anything,” before saying: “She cannot even open windows in the White House, and she cannot go out on her own.

She is much more constrained than me.. I go out every day in Paris.”

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