Wait . . . Can the President Do That?

You’re the new president of the United States, and you just survived your first week on the job. It’s time to celebrate! You invite your family and friends to the White House for dinner. Your mom will bring chili. Your best friend is baking cookies. Just thinking about the homemade spread makes your mouth water. 

But then your aide reminds you that no outside food is allowed into the White House—especially not anything that you might eat. In fact, every bite of food you consume must be prepared under the watchful eye of the Secret Service, a group of federal law enforcement officers whose job is to protect you 24/7.

That may sound extreme, but you are the country’s VIP now—in charge of running the nation. Your power, though, has limits. Some presidential restrictions are outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Others, like no outside food in the White House, have been added over time—out of tradition or to keep America’s top leader safe.

Can you sort the presidential do’s from the don’ts? Keep reading to take our quiz.

Q: A seat is open on the U.S. Supreme Court. Do you get to pick the new justice?

YES. Start thinking about candidates. It is the president’s job to nominate justices to fill any vacancies on the Supreme Court. That’s a big deal because the justices can overturn laws that they decide don’t follow the rules set by the Constitution. Justices also serve for life, so choosing one can influence laws for decades.

There is a limit, though. You don’t get the final say on whether your nominee is approved. That’s decided by the Senate. If the Senate rejects your nominee, you must pick a new candidate.

Q: You bought a brand-new car right before you moved into the White House. Are you allowed to take it for a drive?

NO. U.S. presidents are forbidden to drive on public roads. Strict rules about the president and cars have been in place since the 1960s, after President John F. Kennedy was killed in 1963. He was shot by a gunman while riding in an open-top vehicle.

Today Secret Service agents drive the president around in a bulletproof, explosion-resistant vehicle nicknamed “the Beast.” It’s even stocked with bottles of the president’s blood type!

Not allowing the president to drive makes everyone safer, says Jim Ronan, a political science professor at Villanova University. If a president is at the wheel, he explains, “drivers will be distracted.” 

Q: You’ve had a little too much lemonade today, and now nature is calling. Can you leave your Secret Service agents behind when you go to the restroom?

NO. The president is never truly alone, according to several retired Secret Service agents. A security team accompanies the commander in chief not only to the restroom but also on workouts and even to doctors’ appointments. Under federal law, a sitting president cannot decline Secret Service protection.

“All the security is an entirely new way of life,” Ronan says. “But presidents realize they need to get used to it.”

Q: You’re excited to lead the nation, but you also loved the job you had before being elected president—owning and operating a peanut farm. Are you allowed to do both?

YES (sort of). Technically, you can still own a private business while serving in office. However, many experts believe it’s best for the president to pause outside work so he or she can focus on running the country. 

For that reason, presidents will often put their business into a blind trust. In that type of arrangement, a business is overseen by someone else so the owner doesn’t know how it’s being managed. (President Jimmy Carter put his family’s peanut farm into a blind trust after he was elected in 1976.) 

Why is this a good idea? A side gig could put the president in an awkward position. There’s a clause in the Constitution that says the president cannot accept gifts or payments from a foreign power. The rule is meant to prevent the president from being influenced, persuaded, or paid to take certain actions. If a leader from another country were to buy peanuts directly from the president, for example, that transaction could be considered a violation of the clause. 

But if you do decide to put your other work on hold, you won’t be hurting for cash. The president’s government salary is $400,000 a year!