What do presidents do or get after they leave the White House? To start off, they get a pension which was first introduced in the Former Presidents Act. This allows them to keep to themselves or relax after such an intense job. Oftentimes, former presidents disengage themselves from public rather than remaining in the limelight. For example, George Washington took up his estate in Mount Vernon after office.

Some presidents disagree with the disengagement from politics and run for other political positions. An example of this would be William Howard Taft, who became the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He even went as far as to say, “I don’t remember that I was ever president.”

A sophomore, who wants to remain anonymous, thinks that “some presidents want to get jobs in the White House to maintain some power.”

Another sophomore, also preferring to remain anonymous, says that former presidents “will have governmental bodyguards for the rest of their lives.” This ushers in another post-White House aspect of living, the Secret Service. Presidents receive protection from the Secret Service for ten years after they have served.

Additionally, multiple presidents choose to write memoirs after they leave office. Ulysses S. Grant’s memoir was a bestseller. Also, former presidents are featured on television shows and other media entertainment platforms. Kevin McKenna, a Whitman sophomore, says many former presidents “get paid millions giving speeches for Wall Street firms.”

Presidents do not leave the White House and do nothing afterward. Upon leaving, they have put numerous impacts on the country that could be disputed as positive or negative. Sophomore Ashar Farooq seems to agree with this by claiming that former presidents “have some political influence and power.” President of the United States is a powerful job. Even though former presidents might not have that occupation anymore, they are still active in other ways.