All eyes are always on the First Family.
So, needless to say, safety is of the utmost importance, and it's up to the U.S. Secret Service to make sure the president, first lady and their kids get from here to there and back again without incident.
For nearly 80 years, U.S. presidents and their families have been given nicknames by the agency, monikers that theoretically embody their personalities. While the Secret Service first began using codes in 1945 for security reasons when electronic communication couldn’t be encrypted, they're still used today for clarity.
“Over time, the protectees have almost taken on the persona of the call sign that they had selected,” former Secret Service special agent Jonathan Wackrow told CNN in 2020. “With former President Barack Obama, ‘Renegade’ is a great example: How he went against the establishment in some of the things that he had done, and like Barbara Bush, whose call sign was ‘Tranquility,’ embodied the tranquility and peacefulness in a time of war.”
This year the agency theoretically doesn't have to come up with new names, President-elect Donald Trump already having a moniker from his first administration ahead of his swearing-in on Jan. 20 as the 47th president of the United States—four years after he lost his 2020 re-election bid to now-outgoing President Joe Biden.
The First Families stick to the same letter throughout their brood, too.
For instance, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden go by Celtic and Capri, a tribute to his Irish heritage. Meanwhile, Trump picked Mogul, an homage to his business background, former and incoming First Lady Melania Trump was dubbed Muse and his son Donald Trump Jr. was Mountaineer.
Former president Ronald Reagan’s name, Rawhide, was chosen by a U.S. Army master sergeant, according to Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan. “He thought Rawhide was suitable because the former actor had appeared in several westerns and was known to be a rancher,” author Del Quentin Wilber wrote. “Reagan adored the moniker.”
Now, keep reading to see more interesting—and surprising—Secret Service code names for First Families of the United States.
The Bidens
Joe Biden - Celtic
Jill Biden - Capri
The Trumps
Donald Trump – Mogul
Melania Trump – Muse
Donald Trump Jr. – Mountaineer
Ivanka Trump – Marvel
Eric Trump – Marksman
Jared Kushner - Mechanic
The Obamas
Barack Obama – Renegade
Michelle Obama – Renaissance
Malia Obama – Radiance
Sasha Obama – Rosebud
The George W. Bushes
George W. Bush – Tumbler, later Trailblazer
Laura Bush – Tempo
Barbara Bush – Turquoise
Jenna Bush – Twinkle
The Clintons
Bill Clinton – Eagle
Hillary Clinton – Evergreen
Chelsea Clinton – Energy
The George H. W. Bushes
George H. W. Bush – Timberwolf
Barbara Bush – Snowbank or Tranquility
Marvin Bush – Tuner
Neil Bush – Trapline
Jeb Bush – Tripper
Dorothy Bush – Tiller
The Reagans
Ronald Reagan – Rawhide
Nancy Reagan – Rainbow
Maureen Reagan – Rhyme, Rosebud
Michael Reagan – Riddler
Patti Davis – Ribbon
Ron Reagan – Reliant
Doria Reagan – Radiant
The Carters
Jimmy Carter – Lock Master or Deacon
Rosalynn Carter – Lotus Petal or Dancer
Amy Carter – Dynamo
Chip Carter – Diamond
Jack Carter – Derby
Jeff Carter – Deckhand
The Fords
Gerald Ford – Passkey or Pass Key
Betty Ford – Pinafore
Susan Ford – Panda
Michael Ford – Professor
Jack Ford – Packman
The Nixons
Richard Nixon – Searchlight
Pat Nixon – Starlight
Patricia Nixon Cox – Sugarfoot
Edward F. Cox – Seminole
Julie Nixon Eisenhower – Sunbonnet
The Johnsons
Lyndon Johnson – Volunteer
Lady Bird Johnson – Victoria
Lynda Bird Johnson – Velvet
Luci Baines Johnson – Venus
The Kennedys
John F. Kennedy – Lancer
Jacqueline Kennedy – Lace
Caroline Kennedy – Lyric
John F. Kennedy, Jr. – Lark
Rose Kennedy – Coppertone
Ethel Kennedy – Sundance
The Eisenhowers
Dwight Eisenhower – Scorecard or Providence
Mamie Eisenhower – Springtime
David Eisenhower – Sahara
The Trumans
Harry S. Truman – General or Supervise
Bess Truman – Sunnyside
The Roosevelts
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt – Rover
(Originally published Nov. 5, 2024, at 3 a.m. PT)