Random Normal Things The President Can't Do When In Office (9 items)

(#2) Eat Outside The White House Without A "Taster"

It sounds like an unenviable task from the Middle Ages, but yes, presidential food "tasters" do exist. The Secret Service doesn't speak openly about it, but a White House spokesman and one senator (just to name a few legit sources) have mentioned the role to the press. This has led to some awkward situations, such as a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill in 2013 where a taster-free Obama couldn't partake.

"He looked longingly at [the food]," according to Maine Senator Susan Collins.
(#1) Go Anywhere Without The "Football"

The "Football" is the nickname given to the briefcase the Secret Service carries with them wherever they travel with the president. Though its exact contents are unknown, it does provide a way for the president to confirm his identity and contact the National Military Command Center in case of an emergency. It also provides a "menu" of options in case of a nuclear conflict. Presidents have to keep a laminated code card with them at all times to activate the "Football," and a Secret Service agent has to lug the 45-pound bag around in close proximity to the president wherever they go.
(#6) Be Alone When Out In Public

As former agent Jonathan Wackrow puts it in an interview with NBC, "Secret Service protection is the most intrusive thing that anyone could ever experience." Presidents can't even arrange a pickup basketball game - as Obama attempted early in his administration - without four hours' notice. Unless a president is safely ensconced in the fortress-like conditions of the White House, they simply can't be alone.
(#8) Open The Windows In The White House

Even the most powerful person in the world can't crack a window in his house to let in the breeze. As Michelle Obama related to Stephen Colbert in 2015, the Secret Service requires that all the windows stay closed. This also applies to windows in all official transportation.

The First Lady did reveal one exception: "One day as a treat, my lead agent let me have my windows open on the way to Camp David. It was like five minutes out. He was like, 'Windows open. Enjoy it.'"
(#7) Copyright Published Works While In Office

If a sitting US president somehow found the time to write and publish a memoir or book of essays while still in office, they couldn't, as a federal employee, secure a copyright on that work. US copyright law states any work created by a federal government employee in that person's official capacity - including the president - is in the public domain.

A president is on duty 24/7, meaning anything unclassified they write while in office, including speeches, are free for others to use and repurpose.
(#9) Accept Expensive Gifts

There are strict rules against presidents accepting expensive gifts from world leaders and other dignitaries. In 2017, the law says gifts worth more than $390 have to be turned over to the National Archives. Anything with a lesser value is okay and considered a "souvenir or mark of courtesy." This can lead to some curious situations: George W. Bush, for example, had to purchase a pricey Bulgarian sheepdog named Balkan he received as a gift from the President of Bulgaria.

By buying the dog at face value, he was able to legally give it a good home with a friend in Maryland.