After leaving office, former U.S. presidents are expected to make private trips, having no specific obligations as they are no longer associated with the White House. Nevertheless, they enjoy traveling the world as ambassadors of goodwill, promoting the U.S. and the American way of life. Currently, they are given an annual travel budget for strengthening American presence.
At the time when George Bush Jr. and Bill Clinton, for example, preferred stability and focused on family and personal life, Barack Obama made public appearances and traveled both within the country and abroad. It is expected that Joe Biden, who recently left office, will also frequently move around various places for party and personal purposes.
To promote presidents and stimulate their active travels after leaving federal service, the federal government allocates an annual budget in the millions of dollars. Former presidents and their spouses receive a budget for travel in the amount of half a million dollars. All former presidents are provided diplomatic passports for life.
Former presidents are not the only ones with such a budget; their spouses also receive resources for travels. All former presidents and their spouses are provided lifetime security from the Secret Service. It is expected that a president who was removed for certain reasons may lose their perks. For example, Lyndon Johnson was the first to leave office right after completing his term.
In the case of an unfortunate incident when they are denied access to public roads, neither current nor former presidents can drive themselves. They can all use private roads; for instance, George Bush Jr. often drives himself on his large Texas ranch. But excluding such cases, they are not allowed to drive on public roads due to high risks.
So, if you were a president and loved cars, fulfilling this condition may prove difficult. While having a driver might be pleasant at some point, it also limits permanent driving in a vehicle. Each former president receives a lifetime pension, excluding cases when a president was removed and convicted.
It is also worth noting that Donald Trump received more than three million dollars annually in pension support, registered offices, and travel, since the moment he completed his first term. Bill Clinton received nearly 13 million dollars from 2016 to 2024 in the form of pensions and other perks. George Bush Sr. during his presidency received over 12 million dollars, while Barack Obama received about 10.5 million. Alongside this, Carter received slightly more than five million dollars.
In connection with the assassination of John Kennedy in 1963, presidential safety during movements has changed dramatically. Currently, neither current nor former presidents are allowed to drive cars on public roads.
