You think that the president has access to all of the newest and latest gadgets? While he would definitely be able to obtain them, that won’t do him much good as he probably is prohibited from using them. The reason for that is, of course, security. The first president to have a smartphone was President Barack Obama.
Obama was granted the approval to keep a Blackberry during his presidency, although he had to accept that it would be heavily moderated by the secret service. You could hardly call it a smartphone. Obama said of the phone “Does your three-year-old have one of those play phones? That’s basically the phone I got.”
Just Not The Piano
You already know that the First Family can exercise the right to redecorate many of the rooms in the White House. But, there are certain rooms that they can't touch and with that, specific items that they can't move. One of these is the famous grand piano. The piano can be played, but it most definitely cannot be moved. The Steinway grand piano was designed by Eric Gugler (with help from Franklin Roosevelt) and was given to the White House in 1938 by the manufacturer. It is decorated with gilt stenciling by Dunbar Beck, and is usually kept in the East Room, but sometimes places in the Entrance Hall.
There is a White House curator on staff who is responsible for making sure that historical artifacts and art are taken care of and preserved. We imagine that this task can get challenging when there are young children who live in the White House!
The Moving Bill
Moving homes is always stressful, and more often than not, quite expensive. Well, it might come as a big surprise to you that you aren't the only one paying for your move into a new home. The president also needs to pay the bill for moving into the White House. They arrange a moving company of their choice, and for obvious reasons, the movers aren't allowed to step foot into the White House. So, when former President Obama moved from Chicago to Washington D.C., he had to cover the transportation costs, either with personal funds or money raised for the campaign.
The only people allowed inside of the White House are the residence staff. So, once the moving trucks arrive at site, the residence staff takes custody of the possessions and assumes the responsibility of moving their stuff inside. The same rules apply for moving out of the White House.
No Open Windows!
Living in America's most famous and historical house comes with many advantages. The White House is situated at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in Washington, D.C. Presidents have been calling this place home during their term since John Adams served in 1800. Because the president is the most protected person in the country, it is reasonable that his home would be guarded in the same manner. Some of the restrictions of the First Family in the White House may seem a bit unusual to you, but it all boils down to the same intention; protecting the president and his family. So, what's the first restricted activity in the White House? Nobody is allowed to open any windows in the White House.
During Obama's presidency, his wife, Michelle, had a very difficult time adhering to this rule. She often missed the simple freedom of opening the windows and feeling the fresh air on her face. She jokingly shared with Ellen DeGeneres how she would spend her first year out of the White House. “I just want some wind in my face,” she said, and laughed that she would “spend the first year just hanging out the window.” “The windows in our house don’t open,” Michelle Obama continued, referring to the White House windows that are permanently sealed.
Making Calls
Another rule that the president always must follow is to make calls only from secure lines. No matter whether the call is personal or private, it must be done on a secure line. This is a very important rule.
All incoming and outgoing calls made by the president are made on a secure line for national security reasons. “Because the smartphones of high-level government officials — including the President — are obvious targets for foreign intelligence services, the government goes to significant effort to ensure that government-issued smartphones are constantly updated to address security vulnerabilities,” one White House expert stated.