Does Malia Obama Still Have Secret Service Protection? Here's What We Know

Malia Obama is no stranger to being stalked — by Secret Service agents, that is. She grew up surrounded by them and could never leave the White House without being accompanied by her security detail. Former first lady Michelle Obama has spoken candidly about her daughters' experience during Barack Obama's presidency, saying it was a miracle they managed to make any friends given that no slumber party could occur without agents first doing a sweep of the house in question. Malia and her date were even followed by three cars as they left for prom night.

During an interview at the Essence Festival in New Orleans, Michelle admitted that Malia and her sister Sasha Obama reached many milestones in life with the Secret Service in the background. "Imagine trying to have your first kiss [around] a bunch of men [with guns] and earpieces," Michelle said (via Entertainment Tonight). But these days, Malia doesn't have to worry about her ever-present security detail anymore.

While presidents and their wives enjoy lifelong Secret Service protection, their children do not. According to law, children of a former president will continue to receive Secret Service protection until they turn 16. Should they already be 16 by the time they leave the White House (as Malia was), their Secret Service protection will be revoked. This means Malia finally got to live a "normal" life after moving out of the White House, but that doesn't mean she didn't learn a thing or two from her Secret Service agents.

When Malia Obama took a gap year before enrolling at Harvard, she used the time to travel, but since her dad was still president, all her post-White House jet-setting adventures included her Secret Service detail. While making an appearance on "The Late Late Show," Barack told James Corden that his daughters were less than pleased having their Secret Service tag along on their dates. "They still have PTSD from guys talking into their wrist microphones and glasses as they're trying to go to a music concert," Barack said.

Malia did, however, learn a thing or two from her Secret Service agents, like how to drive. While making an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Michelle Obama detailed Malia's first driving lesson. "[It] was on the Secret Service driving range," Michelle shared. "Her instructor put her in the car and said, 'floor it ... and then I want you to stop.'" Michelle was flabbergasted when Malia first told her this until she explained that the agent wanted her to learn how to safely stop a car at high speed. Ultimately, Michelle was impressed with their teaching skills.

Malia has embraced life after the White House and started making a name for herself in the film industry. She even forfeited her last name, using "Malia Ann" as her stage name. This seemed an effort to distance herself from her parents' legacy and forge her own path and was met with criticism by some. She first debuted her new stage name when her film, "The Heart," premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024.