The First Lady of the United States has a few rules she must follow at all times. Some of these rules are followed due to safety protocols, and others are passed down as tradition. Here’s a list of the most bizarre rules you might not have known every FLOTUS has to follow.
A first lady cannot open windows in the White House
Michelle Obama has previously revealed that it is prohibited to open windows in the White House. In a conversation with Oprah Winfrey, the former First Lady revealed what happened when her youngest, Sasha, cracked a window open.
Michelle began by noting that it is against the rules to open one. “Sasha opened her window once — there were calls. ‘Shut the window!’ It never opened again,” she recalled.
Surprisingly, the safety protocol doesn’t limit to the White House, but all sorts of windows. While she appeared as a guest on Stephen Colbert, Michelle spoke about another similar incident. “You have a little over a year left while you guys are still in office,” the host began. He went on to ask the former FLOTUS if she had a “bucket list.”
Michelle quickly expressed her wish to do “little things like, you know, open a window or go to Target.” She went on to note how opening a window while she is in the car also goes against the rules.
A First Lady cannot accept gifts from foreign governments
Gifts that the President and the First Lady receive are deemed to be gifts to the US government. Small gifts that hold an insignificant monetary value are an exception to this rule. The National Archives and Records Administration handles any other gift that the First Lady receives.
Melania Trump gifted Michelle Obama with a blue Tiffany box: https://t.co/3wH3CnntNO #inauguration pic.twitter.com/cKtk5aPldn
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) January 20, 2017
On the other hand, if anybody other than a foreign official is presenting the gift to the First Lady, they are allowed to receive it. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library details that any food and drinks, any gift that gets applied to the skin, and lastly, combustible items have to be destroyed. It also might be mandatory for the First Family to declare the gifts in their annual disclosure report.
A First Lady’s expenses aren’t covered
When it comes to the First Lady’s personal expenses, the White House does not cover them. The whole First Family pays for their own clothes, food, and even toiletries. A White House usher is responsible for preparing a monthly bill that the President and the First Lady settle.
A First Lady has to donate her designer clothes
No, the First Lady is not compelled to give away all of her designer clothes, only the ones she has been gifted.
First Lady Melania Trump is wearing a gown designed by Hervé Pierre to tonight’s inauguration ball.
The STUNNING design is a strapless off-white silk crepe gown with two bands of black silk gazar. As an accent, Melania borrowed a diamond broach that was created by Harry Winston… pic.twitter.com/GxkTkilU0T
— FLOTUS Report (@MELANIAJTRUMP) January 21, 2025
After the first wear, the FLOTUS has to donate the gift piece of clothing. Melania and Michelle Obama both gave away their clothes to the Smithsonian.
A First Lady is not allowed to drive
According to protocols set in place by the Secret Service, a FLOTUS is prohibited from driving. Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton have previously mentioned how they missed having the liberty to drive around during their time at the White House.
Michelle Obama always allowed her husband to ride in the same vehicle with her. pic.twitter.com/qKqfz9MQx7
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) January 20, 2024
Mrs.Obama revealed how she wasn’t allowed to drive even after her husband finished her term as the President. “We still live in a bubble,” she told People in a 2018 interview.
