In the words of President John Quincy Adams: “There is nothing more pathetic in life than a former president.”
That seems a bit harsh, but after you’ve been one of the most powerful people in the world, what do you do when your term ends and you step down? What’s next?
A lot of adjustment is required for former presidents. And even though they no longer serve as the president, there are still rules to follow. But there’s also money to be made.
Here’s what former US presidents get used to once they’re no longer living in the White House:
1. They’re no longer called “President”
It’s easy to make the mistake of addressing a former President as such. But etiquette suggests one use a less formal title for a former president.
So, instead of referring to “President Obama,” one should call him “Mr. Obama.” What’s more common is, “former President Obama,” as is usually done by the media.
2. It’s rare for them to criticize the current President
There is an unofficial agreement that retired presidents stay out of the current leader’s business. It’s also meant to protect the dignity of the office while keeping former executives out of politics.
It may be an unspoken rule but the likes of Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George HW Bush all had criticisms of their successors.
Carter did so in 1982, declaring, “There is always the temptation for an incumbent politician to blame all his mistakes on his predecessor. Most are willing to withstand the temptation. Mr. Reagan, apparently, is not.”
3. They realize life can be mundane
After four or eight years of leading the nation and constantly being in the public eye, stepping back into relative obscurity can be quite an adjustment.
Barack Obama spoke with David Letterman on his Netflix series “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” saying he “slept in” on his first day as a non-president, saying, “I sort of enjoyed puttering around the house, finding out, ‘Does the coffee maker work?’ and fighting with Michelle for closet space.”
4. Health benefits aren’t guaranteed
You’d think that as the former commander-in-chief, they would have lifetime perks when stepping down, like health benefits. But to qualify for government health benefits, federal employees need at least 5 years of employment to qualify for that.
Jimmy Carter didn’t qualify. But Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton served two terms meaning they qualified for health benefits when they stepped down.
We had no idea such a rule would apply to presidents!
5. Their lifestyles depend on their own incomes
They may have shared the same office but the lives of former presidents are all very different. Jimmy Carter moved back to his hometown of Plains, Georgia, and into a two-bedroom home he and Rosalynn Carter built in 1961. Harry S. Truman went and moved into his mother-in-law’s house in Independence, MO.
The Obamas, however, live in a $6.3 million mansion in Washington, DC, while the Clintons moved to an 11-room home in Chappaqua, NY. And Ronald Reagan returned to his 7,000-square-foot mansion in Bel-Air, CA.
6. They can still change the world
Diplomacy and philanthropy keep former presidents busy when they leave the White House.
Jimmy Carter founded the Carter Center.
Promoting election fairness around the world, mediating between diplomatic disputes, and even efforts to eradicate diseases had Carter winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. It’s a great way to stay busy.
7. They still have big budgets for travel
The Former Presidents Act allows former presidents to receive $1 million in security and travel expenses every year for life. Then there’s an additional $500,000 for their spouse.
But this 1968 law has a catch. The funds must be used for acting as an official representative of the US government.
Former presidents do get to enjoy Air Force One when invited. George W. Bush did so in 2013 when he flew to South Africa accompanied by the Obamas and Hillary Clinton.
8. Speeches help fund their lifestyles
Former presidents as hot commodities as speakers.
For example, Bill Clinton has made $150 million since 2001 with his speaking engagements and books.
Clinton told Wolf Blitzer back in 2010, “I’ve never had any money until I got out of the White House. But I’ve done reasonably well since then.”
9. They spend time planning their funeral
Former presidents can have a state funeral.
In fact, presidents plan their funeral service during their term. They work with the Military District of Washington to design the event.
But Former presidents can also choose a regular service. Richard Nixon passed in 1994 and was buried at his presidential library in California.
10. They get paid staffers, office space, and supplies
Presidents don’t lose all their staff when their term ends. The government pays for them to have an office staff. That amounts to a budget of $150,000 per year for the first 30 months after stepping down.
Once that’s done, the government takes care of $96,000 in staff expenses. Ex-presidents also receive compensation for office space and supplies anywhere in America.
11. Ex-presidents become good friends
Politics will have presidents criticizing and battling it out for the media to see during campaigns and while in office.
When Bill Clinton ousted George H.W. Bush, his successor, George W. Bush, wasn’t exactly fond of Mr. Clinton.
But once terms end, ex-presidents often spend time together and talk about the past. There’s so much to discuss.
In 2017, George W. Bush even said Clinton was like “a brother from another mother.”
12. Some ex-presidents needed to find new jobs
Not all former presidents receive a pension. At least, not before 1958.
That meant that former heads of state had to find another job to make ends meet.
Harry S. Truman‘s presidential library had an office that allowed him to work for 19 years when he lived in Independence, MO.
And Grover Cleveland invested in the stock market to make money, while George Washington retired to Mount Vernon where he ran his own whiskey distillery.
13. The Secret Service still screens their mail
Ex-presidents’ mail goes to an off-site screening location where the Secret Service will check every package for danger.
They intercepted pipe bombs mailed to the Clintons and Barack Obama in October 2018. And in an October 24 statement, the Secret Service said:
“The packages were immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such. Both packages were intercepted prior to being delivered to their intended location.”
14. They cannot just drive around on public roads
Presidents and former presidents cannot drive on public roads for security reasons.
They drive around on their private property, however. George W. Bush drives on his Texas ranch the same way Ronald Reagan used to drive on his.
The Former Presidents Act of 1958 dictates that they can’t just go out and about alone for security reasons. Just think of everything they know – that information can’t fall into the wrong hands if they get hijacked on a country road during a Sunday drive!
15. They make money from book sales
There is a lot of money in writing books. Bill Clinton signed a deal to write My Life, negotiating a $15 million advance. George W. Bush took made $7 million selling 1.5 million copies of Decision Points.
Jimmy Carter wrote 14 books. Presidential historian James Thurber said, “He was broke when he came out of the White House. If you can write or you can write with someone else, you can write a book and make a great deal of money. Jimmy Carter did that.”
16. They get a library
The tradition started with Franklin D. Roosevelt. He envisioned a place to preserve his personal and presidential records, so the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum was born.
We’ve always had governmental archives to preserve important documents, but now nearly each and every piece of paper is saved, with much of it going to individual presidential libaries.
17. The Secret Service is always around
Former presidents get protection for life. The Former Presidents Protection Act of 2012 reversed a 1994 law ending Secret Service protection 10 years after a president finishes his term and leaves office.
Protection doesn’t apply to the president’s kids or ex-spouses, however.
Children get Secret Service protection until the age of 16. Spouses lose protection if the couple divorces and they remarry.
18. They are entitled to a pension for life
Former presidents get a lifelong pension once they step down.
In 1958, Congress passed the Former Presidents Act to provide $25,000 a year, and the pension today is currently $210,700 a year.
Surviving spouses of deceased former presidents qualify for $20,000 annually. Even presidents who resign get a pension.
Only presidents impeached and removed from office would lose the right to a pension.
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