Here's a concise summary of the article:
Former US presidents face significant restrictions on their daily lives due to security concerns. They are not allowed to drive on public roads, and their movements are constantly monitored by the Secret Service. They also receive regular national security briefings for the rest of their lives. Additionally, their mail and packages are screened for potential threats, and they are surrounded by agents at all times, including during holidays and private events.
These restrictions can make everyday activities, such as going for a walk or getting a coffee, into major undertakings. Former presidents also have to give advance notice for activities like playing basketball.
However, it's worth noting that former presidents can decline Secret Service protection, which would allow them to regain some of their freedom. This has been done by former President Richard Nixon and Donald Trump's son, Donald Jr.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Former presidents cannot drive a car on an open road again due to security concerns.
2. The Secret Service provides a lifetime security detail for all former presidents.
3. The rule preventing former presidents from driving on public roads was instituted after John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963.
4. Lyndon B. Johnson was the last president to drive on public roads.
5. Former presidents receive national security updates for the rest of their lives.
6. The Presidential Libraries Act of 1955 established that each president would oversee the creation of a library in their name.
7. Presidential libraries contain every non-classified word a president has written in office.
8. Former presidents' mail and packages are screened off-site by trained security staff for potential threats.
9. The United States Postal Service monitors suspicious packages sent through the mail as part of the "Dangerous Mail Investigations" program.
10. Secret Service agents often get exceptions to warrant laws in cases related to the security of current and former presidents.
11. Former presidents are constantly surrounded by Secret Service agents, even in private moments.
12. Secret Service agents can be swapped out or moved around, so former presidents may be surrounded by strangers for the rest of their lives.
13. Former presidents cannot make spontaneous decisions, such as going for a walk or getting a coffee, without advance notice to the Secret Service.
14. Former presidents can decline Secret Service protection, but this is heavily discouraged.
15. Former President Richard Nixon declined Secret Service protection in his later years to save the government money.
16. Donald Trump Jr. declined Secret Service protection in 2017, citing privacy as his reason.