WHERE ARE THEY NOW: First kids of the United States
- Barron Trump, 13, has lived in the White House for almost two years. It's the first time since John F. Kennedy Jr. that a boy is living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
- The first kids of US presidents are in the public eye almost as much as their parents. They dictate fashion trends, appear on their parents' behalf at embassies around the world, and sometimes host senior prom in the White House East Room.
- But when the first family departs, the spotlight typically turns away from them. We're taking a look at what they've been doing ever since.
- Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.
Some first kids follow their parents into politics, some write about it, or tour the country talking about it, and others do their very best to steer clear of the limelight.
Regardless of what these well known kids end up doing after they move out of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., they're still an important part of United States history.
Here's a look at what the first children are up to these days.
Melissa Stanger and Melia Robinson contributed to previous versions of this article.
Caroline Kennedy served as the US ambassador to Japan.
Daughter of John and Jackie Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy served as the US ambassador to Japan for three years. She was the first woman ambassador, and during her tenure former President Barack Obama strengthened his relationship with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. She resigned from the job shortly after President Donald Trump was sworn in in 2017.
The former attorney, 61, also serves as president of the JFK Presidential Library and has written 10 best-selling books on constitutional law, American history, and poetry.
In 2019, she presented House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
Caroline is married to American designer Edwin Schlossberg and they have three children.
Lynda Bird Johnson Robb advocates for equal rights for women and minorities.
Daughter of Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson
At 75, former Virginia first lady Lynda Bird Johnson Robb is the oldest living child of a US president. In the '70s, she chaired the President's Advisory Committee for Women to help carry out former President Jimmy Carter's mandate to promote gender equality.
Lynda Bird, whose father signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act, spoke at the 50th anniversary ceremony of the March on Washington and attended the remembrance banquet for the 50th anniversary of the "Bloody Sunday" assault in Selma, Alabama.
She has openly supported same-sex marriage, and she and her sister Luci Baines told Katie Couric in an interview in 2014 that she believes her father would have been, too.
In 2019, the Johnson sisters christened a warship bearing their father's name by smashing champagne bottles against the ship.
Lynda Bird has three children with husband Chuck Robb, who was the governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986 and the state's senator from 1989 to 2001.
Luci Baines (née Johnson) chairs the private holding company her mother founded 70 years ago.
Daughter of Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson
Like mother, like daughter: Luci Baines Johnson and her husband Ian Turpin took the helm of LBJ Asset Management Partners in the late '80s and completely turned the business around during the economic crisis.
In February 2017, Luci Baines attended a gathering in Austin, Texas, to show support for the Muslim community. A marcher who met Luci shared a post about their encounter that went viral.
Now 71, Luci Baines had four children with her first husband, Patrick John Nugent.
Tricia Nixon Cox lives a quiet life with her family in Manhattan.
Daughter of Richard and Pat Nixon
Trisha Nixon Cox, 73, accompanied her father on many campaign stops and state trips during his presidency but has steered clear of the spotlight since starting a family more than 40 years ago.
Trisha serves on the board of the Richard Nixon Foundation and is married to Edward Cox, whom she wed in the first wedding in the White House Rose Garden in 1971. The couple had one child.
Julie Nixon Eisenhower married into another presidential lineage.
Daughter of Richard and Pat Nixon
A staunch supporter of her father after the Watergate scandal, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, 70, lives on a Pennsylvania farm away from the public eye. She married David Eisenhower, President Eisenhower's grandson, uniting two of the country's most powerful political families.
She wrote a biography about her mother, "Pat Nixon: The Untold Story," and also serves on the board of her father's presidential library. She and her husband authored a memoir about her grandfather-in-law, "Going Home to Glory: A Memoir of Life with Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961-1969." The couple had three children.
Michael Ford spent 36 years overseeing campus life at Wake Forest University.
Son of Gerald and Betty Ford
Michael Ford, who went by Mike, returned to his alma mater, Wake Forest University, in 1981 as associate dean of campus life, and retired in 2017 after 36 years.
He married Gayle Ann Brumbaugh in 1974. The couple had three children.
Jack Ford was a founding staff member of the magazine Outside.
Son of Gerald and Betty Ford
John Gardner "Jack" Ford, 67, — once President Ford's "free-spirited, shaggy-haired son" — grew into a successful entrepreneur. He founded a startup, California Infotech, which supplied electronic information kiosks to malls. He also helped launch Outside magazine.
After appearing at half a dozen Republican National Conventions, Jack served as executive director of the San Diego host committee for the RNC in 1996.
In 1989, he married Juliann Ford. They have two sons.
Steven Ford appeared on seven seasons of "The Young and the Restless."
Son of Gerald and Betty Ford
Wild-child Steven Ford, 63, joined the cast of television soap opera "The Young and The Restless" in 1981, playing P.I. Andy Richards. After six seasons and a role reprisal in 2002, he has since appeared in a number of films, including "Armageddon," "Black Hawk Down," "When Harry Met Sally," and "Transformers."
Ford ended his tenure as chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation in 2014 (though he remains on the board of trustees), but continues to honor the legacy of his father's administration, speaking at town-hall events and lectures around the country. His most requested talks are: "Inside the White House and Hollywood," and "Getting to the top with character."
He never married.
Susan Ford Bales worked as a photojournalist for high-profile publications.
Daughter of Gerald and Betty Ford
President Ford's only daughter, Susan Ford, took up photography under the mentorship of White House photographer David Kennerly. She went on to become a photojournalist for news outlets, including the Associated Press and Newsweek.
Ford, 61, also launched National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in conjunction with her mother, and succeeded her mother as chairwoman of the Betty Ford Center. She has also been calling for better efforts to identify causes and cures to heart disease, after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest herself in 2013.
She married Charles Vance, one of her father's former secret service agents, and they had two children before divorcing in 1988. She's now married to attorney Vaden Bales.
Jack Carter ran for a Nevada seat in the US Senate.
Son of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
John William "Jack" Carter ran for the first major office the Carter family has sought since 1980. He sealed the Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat in Nevada, but was unsuccessful against an incumbent Republican senator in the 2006 election.
Jack, 71, spent most of his career in the investment and finance industry. He has been married twice and has two children.
Chip Carter lays low while his son carries on the political torch.
Son of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
Not much is known about what James Earl "Chip" Carter III, 69, is up to these days. He participated in the Democratic National Committee, served as a member of Plains City Council, and between 1995 and 2004 worked as vice president, then president and CEO, at a not-for-profit that organized international exchanges for adult home stays.
He married three times and has a son and a daughter.
His son — the grandson of President Carter — James Carter IV made headlines during the 2012 presidential election, after he helped unearth the infamous "47%" video that ostracized nominee Mitt Romney. James Carter IV later received a thank-you note from former President Barack Obama.
Jeff Carter launched a computer-electronics company.
Son of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
Donnel Jeffrey "Jeff" Carter, 67, co-founded Computer Mapping Consultants, a firm that became a consultancy for the World Bank in 1978 and held foreign government contracts.
Jeff married Annette Carter, and they had three children together. In 2018, his 28-year-old son Jeremy died from a suspected heart attack.
Amy Lynn Carter illustrated a children's book that her father wrote.
Daughter of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
Amy Lynn Carter Wentzel, 51, became a political activist in the '80s and '90s — and was even arrested at a CIA recruitment protest. She later received a master's degree from Tulane in art history and started a family in the Atlanta area with computer consultant James Wentzel. At her wedding ceremony she was not given away, saying she did not belong to anyone. She had one child with Wentzel, before later remarrying and having a second son.
Amy worked with her dad on "The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer," which President Carter wrote and she illustrated. The children's book is about a boy who befriends a monster.
Michael Reagan became a highly successful radio talk-show host.
Son of Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman
Michael Reagan was adopted by the actor-turned-president and his first wife, Jane Wyman, just three years before the couple divorced. He is the last living child of this marriage.
After a stint working in aerospace, the powerboat-racing enthusiast found his niche as a political radio talk-show host. He hosted the show for over 26 years. In his retirement, Michael writes op-ed articles, contributes to Newsmax Media, and serves as president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation.
Michael, 74, has been married twice, and has two children.
Patti Davis is the author of multiple fiction and nonfiction novels.
Daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan
The first child of Ronald Reagan's marriage to Nancy, Patti Davis, 66, overcame a number of personal obstacles, including drug addiction, self-harm, and an eating disorder, and discovered her voice through her writing. She has published more than half a dozen works.
She blogs regularly on her website and in 2017, her editorial on her father's shooter went viral. In 2019, she said her father would be "horrified" about democracy during the era of President Donald Trump.
Patti married Paul Grilley in 1984. They divorced in 1990 and had no children.
Ron Reagan provides political analysis as an MSNBC contributor.
Son of Ronald and Nancy Reagan
Ron Reagan, 61, tried his hand at a number of careers, including ballet dancing, before arriving in journalism and joining MSNBC as a political analysis contributor. He has expressed strong opposition to Trump.
Ron only ever knew his father as a politician, but unlike his father has very liberal political views. The "unabashed atheist" recorded a comical PSA for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which ran during Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" in 2014.
He married Doria Palmieri, a clinical psychologist, in 1980. She died in 2014.
George W. Bush served as president from 2001 to 2009.
Son of George H.W. and Barbara Bush
George W. Bush served as the 43rd president at the start of the war in Iraq.
The eldest son of President George H.W. Bush, he was criticized for his handling of the "War on Terror," Hurricane Katrina, and other challenges. Since his presidency, he has avoided the political limelight and grown more liked.
In 2019, he called for the end of the partial government shutdown on Instagram, with a photo featuring him and his wife Laura Bush handing pizza over to their Secret Service detail, who were working without pay.
Today the 72-year-old is enjoying retirement as a grandpa and an artist. He has two daughters and will welcome in a third grandchild in 2019.
John E. "Jeb" Bush is a non-resident professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
Son of George H.W. and Barbara Bush
Jeb Bush carved himself a place in politics as the former governor of Florida, along with an unsuccessful run for the White House in 2015.
The Florida resident transitioned from corporate life to public office in the '80s — first as the chairman of the Dade County Republican Party and then as the governor of the Sunshine State. During his presidential campaign, he released 33 years of tax returns — the most ever made public by a presidential candidate — as a sign to voters that he values transparency.
Since his presidential run, the 66-year-old has been spending time teaching, first as a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, then teaching a class at at Texas A&M before being named presidential professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1974, he married Columba Garnica Gallo and they have three children.
Neil Bush is a director of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M.
Son of George H. W. and Barbara Bush
Neil Bush works as a director of Texas A&M's Bush School of Government and Public Service and as chair of the board of directors at Points of Light, the philanthropic group his father founded.
A businessman and active philanthropist, Bush, 64, also founded educational software company Ignite! Learning in 1999 after struggling with dyslexia as a child.
Neil married Sharon Bush and they had three children. In 2003, they divorced and he married Maria Andrews in 2004.
Marvin Bush is a managing partner at an investment firm in Washington, D.C.
Son of George H. W. and Barbara Bush
At 62, Marvin Bush is 41's youngest son. He's the cofounder and managing partner at Washington, D.C.-based investment firm Winston Partners.
Marvin made headlines during the 2016 presidential election when he endorsed Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson over Trump, following his brother Jeb's exit from the race.
He married Margaret Conway in 1981 and they adopted two children.
Dorothy Bush Koch authored a book about her experience as a first kid.
Daughter of George H.W. and Barbara Bush
Dorothy Bush Koch, who goes by "Doro," is the former president's youngest child and only living daughter. She is involved in a number of charities and philanthropies, and serves as the honorary co-chair of The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
Doro, 59, is the author of "My Father, My President: A Personal Account of the Life of George H. W. Bush," a memoir of her life as the 41st president's daughter. She also helped found a wellness company that educates people about mindfulness and holistic living.
She and her husband Robert P. Koch live in Maryland, and have four children. Two of the kids are from her first marriage with William Heekin LeBlond.
Chelsea Clinton serves as vice chair of the Clinton Foundation.
Daughter of Bill and Hillary Clinton
While her mother Hillary lost the presidency to Trump, Chelsea, 39, said a future for her in politics was a "definite maybe". She's currently vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, where she champions the group's advocacy work in global health and childhood obesity. The Stanford grad previously worked as a special correspondent for NBC News.
Chelsea has written five children's books, and she's active on Twitter discussing issues facing families, public health, and dealing with bullies. In 2019, her and husband Marc Mezvinsky announced they were expecting their third baby, a sibling to daughter Charlotte and son Aiden.
Barbara Pierce Bush is the CEO of an international healthcare equality nonprofit.
Daughter of George W. and Laura Bush
Within five years of graduating from Yale, Barbara Pierce Bush cofounded Global Health Corps, a nonprofit that recruits young professionals to fight for better access to healthcare around the world. Before that she worked at a children's hospital in South Africa and interned for UNICEF in Botswana.
She was a noted Hillary Clinton supporter during the 2016 election. In 2017, she and her sister Jenna Hager Bush released a book they wrote called "Sisters First" about growing up in a political dynasty.
In 2018, Barbara married screenwriter Craig Coyne at the Bush family's Walker Point compound in Maine.
Jenna Bush Hager is a host for NBC's "Today" show.
Daughter of George W. and Laura Bush
The younger of the Bushes' twin daughters, Jenna Bush Hager was announced as the new host for the 10 o'clock hour of the "Today" show in 2019. At the same time, she and her husband Henry announced they were expecting their third child.
Since taking over "Today" she has begun a monthly book club that's been so successful it prompted Entertainment Weekly to dub her the new "book club queen". She also serves as a board member on the Greenwich International Film Festival.
Malia Obama is studying at Harvard, just like her dad.
Daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama
Malia Obama is studying at Harvard University. She departed the White House in 2016 as a fashion icon and still makes headlines for her chic style.
In 2014, she interned on canceled CBS series "Extant," and in 2015, she spent the summer interning on Lena Dunham's HBO series "Girls." After finishing high school at Sidwell Friends School she took a gap year, where she interned at major film studio The Weinstein Company.
Malia turns 21 on the Fourth of July.
Sasha Obama just turned 18.
Daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama
Sasha has graduated from high school, and is reportedly heading to the University of Michigan. Before that though, she and the rest of the family flew to the South of France for a family vacation.
In 2016 she learned all about earning money, working in the takeout window at Nancy's, a seafood restaurant on Martha's Vineyard, with six secret service agents in tow. Her and her sister's reaction to meeting "Deadpool" star Ryan Reynolds also went viral in 2016.
Donald Trump Jr. likes to hunt, fish, and run the Trump Organization.
Donald Trump Jr., 41, has done his father proud rising to be executive vice president for the Trump organization, focusing on expanding the commercial and real estate side of the business, as well as previously appearing on "The Apprentice".
He played a key role in his father's election campaign, making $50,000 speeches on his behalf. He's also been criticized for the way he uses social media. And DJTJ famously met with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower in June 2016 to get "dirt" on Clinton.
Donald Jr. likes to spend his weekends hunting and fishing or in the Catskills with his five children. He and his ex-wife Vanessa finalized their divorce in February, and he's been dating former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle since spring 2018. He and Guilfoyle are on the campaign rounds for Trump's reelection.
Ivanka Trump is an official advisor for the President.
Ivanka Trump, 37, considered the president's favorite child, has been an adviser to her father since early 2017. In 2018 she was criticized for using a personal account to send hundreds of government related emails.
Before that she worked at the Trump Organization with her brothers, but resigned to avoid any conflicts of interest. She also had her own Ivanka Trump fashion brand, which she shut down in July 2018.
In her early life she modeled for brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Versace. She later appeared on "The Apprentice" as well as appearing on an episode of "Gossip Girl".
She is married to real estate developer Jared Kushner, who also works with her at the White House. They have three young children.
Eric Trump started a charitable foundation.
Eric Trump, 35, like his older brother Donald Jr., is an executive vice president at the family business, has appeared on "The Apprentice", and also enjoys hunting. He has been criticized for hunting animals in Zimbabwe.
In 2007, Eric created a charitable foundation to raise money for St Jude Children's Research hospital in Tennessee, but later stopped fundraising to avoid confusion around donations in the wake of his father's run to be president. In 2017, the foundation came under fire when a Forbes report alleged that thousands in donations were funneled to the Trump Organization.
In 2014, he married Lara Lea Yunaska. They're expecting their second child.
Tiffany Trump is studying law in Washington.
Tiffany Trump, 25, is the only daughter from the president's second marriage to television personality Marla Maples. She studies law at Georgetown University after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016.
When she was 14 she released a single called "Like A Bird" , and said she was considering becoming a professional singer on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." She was later profiled as one of the "Rich Kids of Instagram" and has 1 million followers on the social network.
Barron Trump brought his class to meet his dad at the White House on a field trip.
Son of Melania and Donald Trump
Barron Trump, 13, relocated to the White House after living at Trump Tower in Manhattan when his dad took office to finish out the school year. He is the first boy to live in the White House since John F. Kennedy Jr.
Barron is attending St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Maryland, where tuition costs about $40,000 a year.
In May 2017, he took his classmates to meet his dad at the White House.