These things are forbidden at the White House:
Yes, the White House, one of the most well-known structures in the world, has some peculiar regulations that may appear odd to the average person at first. However, their adoption served a specific purpose.
Presidents have wanted to permanently ban certain items from the building because power carries a great deal of responsibility. How did these and other curiosities end up on the prohibited list? In this article, you will learn more.
Additionally, you might want to leave all of these items at home the next time you have the opportunity to visit this building because doing so will likely annoy someone or, worse, result in your expulsion.
Cigarettes
Naturally, smoking is prohibited at the White House as well. Although such an action may seem like common sense to you, it is unusual to many people. This was not viewed negatively long before President Bill Clinton took office. Since the majority of the officials smoked, they were all unconcerned about smoking, even during dinnertime. However, the general rule was to throw out the ashtrays because Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, wanted to outlaw smoking entirely in 1993.
Four years after this alleged experiment, Bill Clinton signed an executive order outlawing smoking in all government buildings, including during meals, making this restriction a reality. The White House still prohibits smoking.
Ultimately, they must uphold a smoke-free and unobstructed environment in a space where critical decisions take place
Booze
On the list of forbidden things at the White House, there is also alcohol. Alcohol is strictly forbidden at the White House, so if you were considering having a fancy drink with the President, I’m here to ruin your mood. You might wonder why this rule exists. Well, when Rutherford Hayes was president, he was adamantly opposed to alcohol of any kind being consumed in his home. But despite being the driving force behind the ban, his wife, Lucy, was held accountable for these acts.
A First Lady has previously attempted to outlaw alcohol at the White House. Eleanor Roosevelt decided in 1934 that no one would consume hard liquor while she was the building’s hostess, except wine. At least wine was permitted to be consumed!
Professional cameras
Did you know that cameras were completely prohibited in the White House for 40 years? Before Michelle Obama announced that the ban would be lifted in 2015, cameras were not allowed during White House visits.
Visitors were prohibited from taking pictures starting in the 1970s due to concerns that flash might harm the artwork and that tourists would leave their organized groups if they were more interested in taking pictures than in the tour.
You can take photos with your phone and camera, but you still can’t use the flash.
Don’t wear denim!
It may seem strange, doesn’t it? The White House upholds a dress code that dates back decades to project a polished and official image, particularly when hosting foreign dignitaries or conducting official business. For this reason, jeans and casual clothing were strictly prohibited from the White House in 2001, during the administration of George W. Bush.
Interestingly, many people believed that President Bush disliked jeans until they saw him wearing them during a 2001 meeting with Vladimir Putin. Given that this wasn’t the sole instance of President Bush donning blue jeans, I assume the individual who established the rule can overlook it.
Bush was also spotted sporting jeans and some ostentatious sunglasses when the well-known U2 singer Bono visited the president at the White House four years later. In my opinion, that’s the perfect way to greet a rock star!
For a valuable history lesson on former US presidents, we recommend reading the book titled Presidents of the United States of America: A History of America’s Leaders. You may already be aware of some facts, but I’m sure you’ll be amazed by others. You never know what other fascinating facts you might learn about the White House. You decide that.
Balloons
Among all the forbidden things at the White House, there are also balloons. But how can someone throw a party without confetti and balloons? Last year, there was an issue at a party, and some security guards were alarmed by some broken balloons, mistaking them for a gun. Well, that’s some bad luck!
The White House says no to broccoli!
Many children have declared that if they were elected president for a day, they would forbid broccoli and eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sounds legit, right? However, only one of them had the good fortune to fulfill their pledge. He’s lucky!
Former President George H.W. Bush famously banned broccoli from the White House and Air Force One because he didn’t like it. This sparked a lot of rumors at the time, and people flocked to the White House with tons of broccoli and dishes to donate to food pantries. However, I guess that only serves to highlight the fact that everyone, even the US president, has preferences.
We’re not sure which dishes might have been prohibited from the White House over the years, but we’re willing to wager that there were many more.
Personal phones
Is the White House’s West Wing a phone-free zone? A resounding yes is the response. When Trump was president of the United States, the chief of staff issued an order prohibiting visitors and employees from using smartphones in the right wing of the White House. Fantastic, eh? especially for those who have a phone addiction. However, I guess laws are meant to be followed.
Employees were only permitted to use government-issued phones, which do not allow texting. As a security measure, this rule was put into place because they were trying to lower the number of devices connected to the main wireless network. Many people strongly disagree, though, and think that the true goal was to leak information to the media.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what the main motivation was for this restriction—the employees were unhappy about not being able to call their families while they were at work.
Concerts
Beginning around 1842, the Marine Band performed outdoors on the White House lawn every Saturday during the summer for ninety years. During the 1870s concerts, Ulysses Grant and his spouse would even venture out to socialize with the audience. However, the concert series was put on hold in 1862.
The concerts were prohibited that summer by Abraham Lincoln’s wife, who had recently lost his 11-year-old son. They relocated to Lafayette Square the following year, and the White House hosted the concerts once more in 1864. However, the custom was permanently abandoned by the 1930s.
Squirrels
Last but not least of the things that are forbidden in the White House are squirrels. Yep, you can laugh all you want, but it’s true. Here’s why. In 1955, Dwight D. Eisenhower built a putting green at the White House, but the squirrels soon damaged his beautiful lawn. No offense, but I would be mad too! When the valets saw another squirrel running across the grass, they asked them to shoot it with a rifle. Naturally, none of them agreed to this, so they allowed the squirrels to go without hurting them.
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Related article to check out: 20 Little-Known Rules Every First Lady Follows.