Presidents' Children Who Had A Drastic Change After The White House

Over the course of American history, there have been many exceptional (and some perhaps less remarkable) presidents. Throughout their campaigns, their integrity, resilience, and compassion have won over the American people, and in certain nominees' cases, having a solid family unit has worked in their favor.

Many children have called 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home, especially since John F. Kennedy's term from 1961 until 1963. According to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum director, Alan Price, during an interview with People in October 2021, "When President Kennedy came into office, it was the first time the American public had seen young children in the White House since Grover Cleveland. Through the media of that day ... suddenly the White House became more accessible and people were, frankly, obsessed with John Jr. and Caroline."

With the eyes of the nation suddenly upon them, every move the first children made was scrutinized, and none more so than those who resided in the White House at the time of their fathers' terms. Presidents' children have made mistakes, stood loyally beside their parents, and had incredible transformations in the limelight. Even after their family returns to relative normalcy after moving out of the historic residence, they maintain a kind of celebrity status. Here are the presidents' children who had a drastic change after the White House.

When John F. Kennedy won the 1960 election and moved the family into the White House, Caroline Kennedy was almost 3 years old. They were viewed as the idyllic American family, and the press caught many of Caroline's moments, including riding her pony on the lawn of the White House. When her father was assassinated in November 1963, their family became the subject of one of the country's most devastating moments, and two weeks later, Jackie Kennedy moved her children out of the White House.

In March 2019, looking back on her time in the White House, Caroline told WFLA News Channel 8, "My mother always said it was the happiest time in our life because our family was together. ... You really are brought closer because you're in this really unique situation together." She acknowledged that she was much younger than many children who have since resided at the White House, and being just a child at the time made it so much more special.

Caroline Kennedy went on to study at several prestigious schools, and after working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a time, graduated from Columbia Law School. She maintained her privacy while working as a lawyer, and eventually became the United States Ambassador to Japan before taking on the position for Australia. Today, as the only surviving child of Jackie and John F. Kennedy, she has kept her parents' memories alive and ensured the country remembers what they stood for.

Like his older sister, Caroline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy Jr. was very young when his family lived at the White House. The president's only son, given the endearing nickname "John John," was born two weeks after JFK's election win and was just shy of his third birthday when his dad was tragically assassinated. The media's attention on the little boy during the funeral procession will always remain prevalent in the minds of those who were alive at the time, as the youngster saluted his dad's casket.

John F. Kennedy Jr., unlike Caroline, maintained a public (and wildly popular) image, working as a prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney's office and being named People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive." During an interview on "Primetime" in May 1992 (via the Tampa Bay Times), he avoided questions about his father's controversial personal life, instead stating, "I think the real question is whether or not given the tenor of the times, my father would have gone into politics at this point." At the time, there were rumors about the late president's son possibly following in his father's footsteps and running for office himself.

Sadly, the tragedy that had surrounded the Kennedy family continued on in July 1999, when JFK Jr., his wife, and sister-in-law, were killed in a plane crash. The president's son had been piloting the small plane at night, and an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board claimed "spatial disorientation" due to "haze and the dark night" were to blame.

When Luci Baines Johnson's father was sworn into office following John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963, she skyrocketed to fame as the country's first child. At 16, she was the first teenager in the White House since William Howard Taft's daughter Helen, and stood as a role model for countless American girls. Speaking with Life in May 1964, Johnson remarked, "I think my greatest responsibility as the daughter of a president is to be myself, and to be my best self."

Her father served as president for just over five years, and during his term, she moved out and enrolled at Georgetown University's School of Nursing. Johnson did, however, have to drop out due to the school's policy against married students, as she'd tied the knot that same year. Later, she got her degree in communications and became involved in her family's business, LBJ Holding Co.

Johnson revealed during an interview with People in October 2021 that many of the first children have remained in contact through holiday cards and unfortunate reunions at the funerals of loved ones. As she put it, "It's a fraternity of not just first children, but first families. There is a sense of 'You've walked my walk, you know my history — you care.' ... We had an opportunity to be an eyewitness to history, and it was the privilege of a lifetime, but the facts are, every member of the first family serves."

Susan Ford was 17 when President Nixon resigned, leading her father Gerald Ford to be sworn into office and become the country's 38th president. Thankfully for the teenager, it didn't cause as much of a shift in her life as it did for others, as she told People as part of her 2021 profile, "I was a senior in high school, and the lucky thing is we lived in Washington, so I didn't have to change schools like other presidents' children."

A memorable perk that probably made Susan pretty popular amongst her fellow classmates was that her senior prom was held at the White House in 1975, the first and only high school dance to be held on the premises. In April 2017, as part of the "America's First Ladies: An Enduring Legacy" luncheon, Susan spoke with MLive about the pressures she had faced. "It was difficult trying to manage being a first daughter and school. My parents were adamant that school and your education came first, so if I had too much homework, it was, 'You're not going to the state dinner.'"

When her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, Ford took over as the White House hostess and advocated for early detection. Years later, in 1982, the Betty Ford Center was founded to help those dealing with addiction and Susan worked on many projects alongside her mother, later joining the Board of Directors, and then becoming a Chairwoman in 2005.

Many felt sympathy for 9-year-old Amy Carter, whom the media circled when her dad Jimmy Carter was sworn into office. This even included former first child Susan Ford, who told People, "My heart broke for Amy Carter, who had to move to Washington and make new friends and go to a new school. It's hard on those kids." Though Amy had three older brothers, there was a large age gap so she lived alone with her parents.

The president strived to give Amy as normal of a childhood as possible, enrolling her in a public school and even building a treehouse for her on the property. While she may have maintained a picture-perfect reputation during her father's term, things shifted a bit when she went off to college. Shortly after Amy enrolled at Brown University, she garnered a reputation for her three arrests at political protests. She stood up against racial segregation, apartheid, IBM, and the CIA — the latter protest she spoke about with The New York Times in December 1986.

”There were, I would say, 60 or 80 cops in riot gear, billy clubs, mace, with four or five police dogs — it was really terrible," Amy explained. After she finished her sophomore year at Brown, the school dismissed her over her incomplete coursework, but many believed the real reason was due to her political activism. Since then, Amy has remained out of the public eye.

Chelsea Clinton was nearly 13 when she and her family moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 1993. As Bill and Hillary Clinton's only child, all of the media attention fell on Chelsea, though she seemed to be granted a level of privacy that many other presidents' children didn't experience. She attended a private school, went to church, and was even allowed a social life outside of the view of the press, as her parents aimed to give her a sense of normalcy.

Unfortunately, this didn't stop outlets like "Saturday Night Live" from making fun of her looks, despite the fact that she was just a kid. While on the "People Every Day" podcast in May 2021, Chelsea expressed, "I used to be asked all the time, 'Did you ever run away?' No, I never ran away ... I respect that they had a job to do. I wasn't going to make that job harder for them, and I wasn't going to stress out my parents like that. Just never even occurred to me."

Since her time in the White House, Chelsea Clinton has had a stunning transformation. She went on to get her bachelor's and master's degree, as well as a PhD. She also pursued a career as an author, writing inspirational books for young readers. Chelsea even became a New York Times bestseller with her book "She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World."

In 2009, 10-year-old Malia Obama and her younger sister joined their mom and dad in the White House after America's hearts were won over by Barack Obama's hope-fueled campaign. At first, she wasn't thrilled with having to move from Illinois to Washington D.C. and make new friends, but she soon settled into her position as one of the country's most famous children. Similarly to other presidents' kids, Malia's parents strived to keep her and her sister protected from public scrutiny, enrolling them in a private school until their high school graduation.

Malia attended several public events alongside her parents throughout her dad's eight-year term, but by 2016, she was ready to leave the nest and lead her own life. "They're ready to get out, just out from their parents' house. The fact that their parents' house is the White House may add to it. But Malia's going off to college. She's a grown woman," Barack Obama told People in December of that year.

Malia Obama enrolled at Harvard University after high school, graduating in 2021. Over the years, she demonstrated a passion for the entertainment industry, having worked as a production assistant with CBS in 2014, interned at HBO during her senior year of high school, and controversially interned at the Weinstein Company in 2017. In September 2024, Obama made her directorial debut at the Deauville American Film Festival, telling Entertainment Tonight at the time, "I've never done anything like this so [I'm] a little bit terrified, but mostly just excited."

Ever since Sasha Obama was thrust into the spotlight at 7 years old, she's been a beloved figure of the presidential family. The media attention was primarily positive, with both Obama girls being named Time's "Most Influential Teens of 2014," but their parents strived to protect them as much as they could. Speaking with People en Español in November 2022, their mom Michelle said, "They are not social media stars. They are not looking to be followed by the paparazzi. ... I hope the media hears me when I am saying this: They are not seeking the light in this regard."

Since their time in the White House, both the Obama sisters have had head-turning transformations. They both attended Sidwell Friends School, with the youngest sister graduating in 2019 and enrolling at the University of Michigan. While Obama initially continued to live with her family while taking online classes during the pandemic, she decided to transfer to the University of Southern California and move in with her sister.

Obama graduated in 2023 with a degree in sociology, and while details of her career remained pretty obscure for a while, it was reported in July 2024 that her name had appeared in the credits of the Showtime series "Couples Therapy." Fans have since theorized that she has followed in her older sisters' footsteps into the entertainment industry.

When his dad moved into the White House and began his presidential term in January 2017, Barron Trump was hesitant to uproot his life. Up until that point, the 10-year-old had already been living a privileged life in Manhattan, attending private schools and living in a luxurious penthouse apartment. However, once the school year ended, Barron and his mom Melania Trump moved to the White House to join the president.

While all of his half-siblings had received an inordinate amount of media coverage due to their close involvement with Donald Trump, the youngest of the president's children was granted a little more privacy as he grew up. Of course, he wasn't entirely protected from online criticism, especially given his dad's polarizing statements, but fellow first children Jenna Bush Hager and Chelsea Clinton came to the boy's defense.

As he grew up, many wondered where Barron Trump would be attending college and rumors arose when he was spotted at New York University with the Secret Service in tow. Finally, in September 2024, his dad revealed to the Daily Mail, "He was accepted to a lot of colleges. He's a very smart guy, and he'll be going to Stern, the business school, which is a great school at NYU." The former president went on to praise Barron, saying, "He's a very high aptitude child, but he's no longer a child. He's just passed into something beyond child-dom. He's doing great."