Random Life of An Ex-President (18 items)

(#16) They Often Have Trouble Adjusting Right Away

After four or eight years in the heightened reality of the presidency, stepping back into civilian life can be a major adjustment. Obviously, the relative lack of public scrutiny or immediate geopolitical concerns mark a major change in the life of a former head of state, but the more mundane aspects of life can also require some adjustment.

Speaking with David Letterman on his Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Barack Obama revealed that 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.”

On his first morning as a regular citizen, meanwhile, Bill Clinton found himself stumped by the coffee machine at his new Westchester home. With no staff to help him out, Clinton headed to a local deli, declaring, "Let's go get some coffee."

Though Obama admitted, "Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion," he also dispelled the myth of the dottering ex-president, explaining, "The stereotype of former presidents is you’re kind of sitting around your house, waiting for someone to call, lonely, don’t know what to – but the truth is it felt exciting.”
(#6) The Secret Service Screens All Their Mail

Ex-presidents never walk down to the mailbox to pick up their mail. Instead, the mail first goes to an off-site screening location where the Secret Service checks every package for signs of danger.

In October 2018, the Secret Service intercepted pipe bombs mailed to the Clintons and Barack Obama, among other prominent political figures. 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.
(#15) They Aren't Guaranteed Health Benefits

Some former presidents leave office after serving for eight years, while others leave after only four. One surprising thing separates these two groups: their health benefits. To qualify for government health benefits, federal employees must work for the government for at least five years.

Jimmy Carter, as a one-term president, didn't qualify for federal health benefits. Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton were each elected to two terms and qualified for health benefits after leaving office.
(#2) The Secret Service Never Goes Away

As of 2013, former presidents get Secret Service protection for life. The Former Presidents Protection Act of 2012 reversed a 1994 law that ended Secret Service protection 10 years after a president leaves office.

The same provision doesn't apply to the president's children and ex-spouses, though. Children get Secret Service protection until they turn 16, while spouses lose the protection if the couple divorces and they remarry.
(#10) They Spend A Surprising Amount Of Time Planning Their Funeral

Former presidents can choose to have a state funeral. In fact, presidents have to plan their funeral service while still in office, working with the Military District of Washington to design the event. Presidential funerals can include aircraft flyovers, gunfire salutes, and parades. The choreographed events typically last five days, and flags remain lowered around the country.

Former presidents can also opt out of a state funeral. Richard Nixon made that decision - when he passed in 1994, he was buried at his presidential library in California.
(#11) Speeches Help Fund The Ex-Presidential Lifestyle

Presidents don't stop giving speeches when they leave office. In fact, some of them might give even more speeches as ex-presidents. Since leaving office in 2001, Bill Clinton has netted $150 million between his speaking engagements and his books. In 2012, CNN calculated that about $75 million came from speeches given around the world.

Clinton told Wolf Blitzer in 2010, "I've never had any money until I got out of the White House. But I've done reasonably well since then."