When human buffoon Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, it’s not just the lives of Barack and Michelle Obama that’ll change dramatically – their girls Sasha and Malia will feel it, too.
Not only will they move out of the giant house they’ve called home for the past 8 years, but they’ll have to deal with being trailed by Secret Service for the rest of their lives (a reduced detail to when they were America‘s First Daughters, but still). The First Daughters Club is a pretty rare one, but if anyone knows what they’re about to go through it’s Jenna Bush-Hager and Barbara Bush.
L-R: Barbara and Jenna Bush.
Twin sisters, they experienced life in the White House both as kids – when their grandad George H.W. Bush held office – and as 19 year olds, when dad George W. Bush first became Prez in 2001. In a sweet open letter to Sasha and Malia, written for Time, Barbara and Jenna spoke firsthand about what they can expect when Barack’s no longer Leader of the Free World.
“You are about to join another rarified club, one of former First Children—a position you didn’t seek and one with no guidelines,” they wrote. “But you have so much to look forward to. You will be writing the story of your lives, beyond the shadow of your famous parents, yet you will always carry with you the experiences of the past eight years.”
Not only did they advise the girls to give their college years everything they had, they wrote never to forget the staff who made their eight years in Washington a no doubt challenging but v. special one – from butlers to Secret Service agents.
Cute fact: the same florist who first greeted them at their grandfather’s inauguration did the flowers for Jenna’s wedding 20 years on.
“Never forget the wonderful people who work at the White House. Our greeter as 7-year-olds at our grandfather’s Inauguration was Nancy, the White House florist, who ushered us in from the cold. She helped us make colorful bouquets of winter flowers for our grandparents’ bedside. Twenty years later, Nancy did the flowers for Jenna’s wedding. Cherish your own Nancy. We stay in touch with our Secret Service. They were part of growing up for us: there for first dates, first days and even an engagement and a honeymoon. We know it wasn’t always easy – the two of you and the two of us were teenagers trailed by men in backpacks – but they put their lives on hold for us.”
Barbara and Jenna were also full of praise for the mature way the Obama girls have always carried themselves.
“You have lived through the unbelievable pressure of the White House. You have listened to harsh criticism of your parents by people who had never even met them. You stood by as your precious parents were reduced to headlines. Your parents, who put you first and who not only showed you but gave you the world. As always, they will be rooting for you as you begin your next chapter. And so will we.”
The letter comes after Michelle admitted to Ellen DeGeneres that vacating the White House was going to be tough on both her daughters.
“I’m sure the girls will have a tough time. They think they’re ready, but when you’ve grown up in a place… I mean, imagine: they won’t be able to knock on a door and say, ‘Can I see my room?’ That’s not gonna happen.“Think about it: the girls have grown up in the White House. I mean, the staff that’s there – we see them every day. These are people who have helped us raise our kids. They’ve loved us. They’ve taken care of us. The minute we leave, that’s it.”
