When you serve in public office, one of the many benefits that come with the job includes having a secret service detail looking after your safety wherever you go. There have been many presidents of the United States over the years, and each of them had their own unique code name that was used by the detail in charge of them. Thanks to the power of the internet, historians and a couple of whistleblowers, we now know the secret service code names of various famous politicians who have held public office in the past. Some of these include the most influential people in the world. As you’ll soon discover, some code names were well thought out, while others are vaguer, leaving a lot to the imagination.
Here Are The Secret Service Code Names For Key Presidents Officials
Richard Nixon (“Searchlight”)
Richard Nixon was a very influential president, and as is usually the case when the White House communications agency selects code names for their charges, he also got given a name that suits his curious and daring leadership style. Although nobody can be 100% certain that he didn’t choose a somewhat ironic code name of “searchlight” for himself, historians suggest that in his inner circles it was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Watergate scandal too.
Richard Nixon
Bill Cliton (“Eagle”)
There are countless Hollywood films that use the phrase “the Eagle has landed” to refer to Air Force One, but in this particular context, “eagle” refers to the occupant of the plane. Bill Clinton was given the name for patriotic reasons, although some historians argue that it could also have to do with his history as an Eagle Scout when he was growing up. He talked about this often on the campaign trail, so it seemed to be a good fit.
Bill Cliton
Jimmy Carter (“Deacon”)
The first former president to live to 95, Jimmy Carter was no stranger to achieving incredible feats in his lifetime. His code name during his time in office was perhaps less related to his fierce leadership style, and more closely linked to his personal faith. “Deacon” has many religious connotations, and it is speculated that it has to do with his commitment to Sunday school in his youth. The code name stuck right from the first day, and the rest as they say is history.
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan (“Rawhide”)
As he was working to convince people to vote for him, Ronald Reagan’s image was closely linked to his Illinois roots. Although he lived in California for a large portion of his life, and especially when he worked as an actor, Reagan’s roles in western movies would imprint a specific image in the minds of Americans. This led to his code name of “Rawhide”, which the history books suggest was a name he chose for himself.
Ronald Reagan
Hillary Clinton (“Evergreen”)
Although Hillary Clinton narrowly missed out on the presidency in 2016, she already had a nickname from when her husband Bill was president. This is common for the direct family of public officials, and although her husband was called “eagle”, she wanted something a little more diverse. “Evergreen” was settled on, and this is the same name that was used during her own presidential campaign. It’s safe to say that her political career has gone through the ups and the downs, so the name is suitable in various ways.
Hillary Clinton
John F. Kennedy (“Lancer”)
It’s no secret that the assassination of John F. Kennedy sent shockwaves through the American people, and the rest of the world. It will go down as one of the biggest tragedies in political history for many decades to come. After his death, first lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis quoted a line from his favorite musical, ‘Camelot’. From that point on, the media called him “Lancer”, which was already the name given to him by his secret service detail while he was alive
John F Kennedy
Jacqueline Kennedy (“Lace”)
More than just being the first lady, Jackie Kennedy has served as a fashion icon that is known and loved by people from all walks of life. It was her attention to detail that garnered her outfits the most attention, and often these were extravagant, tailor-made designs that grabbed headlines. For this reason, it was decided that “Lace” would be the best code name for her, which also starts with the letter ‘l’, similarly to her husband’s.
Jacqueline Kennedy
Harry Truman (“General”)
As the history books reflect, Harry Truman was the first president to be awarded a code name by the secret service. He was already the 33rd president of the United States, marking a milestone moment where the tradition of assigning the best agents to the top-ranking political officials began. Although nobody can be sure why he was referred to as “General”, speculation suggests that it was related to his ambitions of being a general in an earlier phase of his career.
Harry Truman
Bernie Sanders (“Intrepid”)
You may be surprised to find out that the secret service supports prominent political officials even if they’ve never made it all the way to the top job. Bernie Sanders has been through countless election cycles and always seems to get close to the line, but is never able to cross it. For his 2020 campaign, he declined their help, which might explain the reason they dubbed him “Intrepid”. Donald Trump kindly suggested that “Humble” would be a better fit during his campaign.
Bernie Sanders
George H.W Bush (“Timberwolf”)
The secret service is responsible for the safety of their charge until the completion of their term. As it turns out, it’s not uncommon for agents to continue to work with former presidents once they’ve left the White House. This is because of the close bond that is formed over the four years (which often turn into eight years, or two terms). George H.W Bush was called “Timberwolf” during his stint as president, and made such an impact on his detail that they tweeted about his kindness in recent years.
George H W Bush
Barbara Bush (“Tranquility”)
As you can imagine, if the secret service is in a building protecting a president, they should always be incognito. When former first lady Barbara Bush passed away, one agent made their voice heard, talking about the fact that Mrs. Bush treated the detail as members of their own family. It’s no surprise that “Tranquility” was her nickname, especially as she appreciated when the detail was overly quiet, helping to maintain a peaceful environment each day.
Barbara Bush
Joe Biden (“Celtic”)
Did you know that former vice presidents don’t gain secret service details when they leave office? The only exception to this is when a vice president has served, or will serve as a president. This is the case with current president Joe Biden, who has always been referred to as “Celtic” by the detail surrounding him. He has the same team with him now that was a part of his vice presidency under Barack Obama, and the name comes from his Irish-American upbringing.
Joe Biden
Dwight Eisenhower (“Providence” or “Scorecard”)
Anybody who has been lucky enough to be given a code name from the secret service must have had a fairly interesting life so far. When Dwight Eisenhower was president, he was double as lucky, as he got to go by two different monikers over the years. During his presidency, he was called “Providence”. The nickname had no personal affiliation to him. After his term came to an end, he changed it to “Scorecard”, in a nod to his passion for golfing in retirement.
Dwight Eisenhower
Barack Obama (“Renegade”)
Barack Obama was a pioneer in American politics, being the first person of color to be elected to the biggest office in the free world. “Renegade” was part of a list of pre-approved names that he got to choose from when he first entered office. All of the names started with the letter “R”, and apparently, he mulled over the choices for a couple of minutes. We’re sure that it was a memorable, special moment for the beloved former president.
Barack Obama
Michelle Obama (“Renaissance”)
As the first lady of America, Michelle Obama transformed the lives of thousands of people, most notable women, girls and people of color. Because Barack had a nickname starting with “R”, Michelle had to pick one that began with the same letter. The term “Renaissance” was selected as a nod to the way she incorporates her broader vision of positive change in everything she does. The couple’s two children were also given names starting with “R”, continuing a long-standing oval office tradition.
Michelle Obama
George W. Bush (“Tumbler” or “Trailblazer”)
Because George W. Bush junior had two terms as President of the United States, he ended up going with two different code names to distinguish between the first period, and the one that followed. “Tumbler” referred to his cheerleading history, but close sources suggest it had more to do with his drinking habits. “Trailblazer” came in when he started the war in Iraq, which is a decision that seemed like the best course of action at the time, but has since been widely criticized.
George W Bush
Mike Pence (“Hoosier”)
Before he was vice president to Donal Trump, Mike Pence was governor of Indiana. For the duration of his 2016 campaign, the secret service referred to him as “Hoosier”, which is a nod to his hometown roots. The nickname was actually leaked to the media during this time, and it is unclear whether it was changed during her term. One code name that didn’t change was the one given to his wife, who was affectionately referred to as “Hummingbird” for the four years they were in office.
Mike Pence
Melania Trump (“Muse”)
Melania Trump might have been known for implementing many large-scale social reform initiatives in her time as first lady, but she was a trendsetter when she arrived at the oval office even before she started working on the garden, purely because she was the first in her position who did not speak English as a home language. When the secret service offered various code names to the family, she chose “Muse”, in reference to her modeling and photography background.
Melania Trump
Donald Trump (“Mogul”)
Former President Donald Trump was a billionaire by the time he entered office, so it came as no surprise to anyone when he decided on “mogul” for his official secret service code name. Considering his long-time image as a real estate mogul, the title makes a lot of sense. His urge for capitalism and the need to make more and more money makes this a fitting code name for Donald Trump, who is rumored to still be using the code now that he has left the oval office.
Donald Trump
Sarah Palin (“Denali”)
When Sarah Palin was governor of Alaska, she had high hopes of making up the top post in government later on in her career. Her ambition eventually led her to the Republican nomination for vice presidency, and she was the first woman to do so. Her secret service code name refers to Alaska’s renowned national park, “Denali”. Now retired from politics, she might not have a secret service detail anymore, but she will always be remembered as someone who shook things up whenever she had the chance to.
Sarah Palin
Mitt Romney (“Javelin”)
Presidential hopefuls also get assigned secret service code names, and although it might seem like it sometimes, these names are not chosen without giving it a lot of consideration. The same goes for Mitt Romney, who was a presidential hopeful a couple of years ago. Because of the business his father ran, which built the first javelin, Mitt Romney ended up living in his shadow in a certain way. He was dubbed “Javelin” by the secret service, and the rest is history.
Mitt Romney
Paul Ryan (“Bowhunter”)
Not every code name makes a lot of sense at first glance. Sometimes, we need historical context to be able to untangle the reason why it was chosen. This was the case for Paul Ryan, who was a former speaker for the house of commons. Because he is a very skilled archer and hunter, the secret service thought it would only be fitting to refer to him as “bowhunter”. If you’ll believe it, the name was first revealed in a GQ magazine interview, and readers were left curious to know more.
Paul Ryan
Eleanor Roosevelt (“Rover”)
Although Harry Truman was the first to receive a code name, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt is often cited as someone who was referred to by a nickname long before it was official. During WWII, Eleanor was often called “Rover” whether she was organizing a social gathering or taking a meeting on behalf of the presidential family. Anybody who helped with the war efforts certainly earned their stripes, and their name in the history books of the secret service.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Dick Cheney (“Angler”)
Even if it might not seem obvious to the casual observer, it turns out that the secret service likes to be very playful when they assign code names to their charges. Often, these are meant to be received in an affectionate manner, which is certainly the case with Dick Cheney. Dubbed “Angler” by his detail, the avid fisherman is said to have chuckled out loud when the suggestion was first made. Although he is very private about his personal life, this was one anecdote he was happy for the rest of the world to know about.
Dick Cheney
Roger Clinton (“Headache”)
Although not receiving an official code name because he never served in a prominent role in public office, Bill Clinton’s younger brother Roger was often called by something not so pleasant, namely “Headache”. His reputation preceded him, and this didn’t go unnoticed by the people who had to deal with him in his capacity as a member of the first family. Needless to say, his stint in federal jail backed up the idea that he caused a lot of headaches after all.
Roger Clinton
Kamala Harris (“Pioneer”)
When Kamala Harris was announced as the vice-president candidate for the Democratic party back in 2020, the secret service didn’t have a hard time when offering up a code name that would say it all. Kamala is not only the first woman to enter the vice-president role, but she is also the first person of color to do so. This makes her a pioneer in American politics, and her biracial status has given young girls and women everywhere hope that they can achieve what they set out to do as well.
Kamala Harris
Jill Biden (“Capri”)
It’s often the case that the first lady gets to choose her code name after the president has picked his, mostly because the tradition allows the former to choose one that starts with the same letter as her husband. This is exactly what happened when Joe Biden was dubbed “Celtic” and Dr. Jill Biden opted to go with “Capri”. Some people suggest it has to do with her love for capri pants, while others say she is fond of vacationing on the Capri Islands. Either way, it’s a pretty marvelous choice.
Jill Biden
Ben Carson (“Eli”)
There was a time when Ben Carson was pegged to be the person who would head up the Republican party ahead of the 2016 presidential election. As he was a frontrunner next to eventual winner Donald Trump, he also received a code name from the secret service, even though he was the first GOP candidate to have it happen to them. “Eli” was picked because it referred to his graduate status at Yale University, a term that often describes an alumnus from there.
Ben Carson
Ted Kennedy (“Sunburn”)
While it’s preferable to be able to choose your secret service nickname, sometimes an unforeseen event might lead to you earning your nickname without any input on your end. For Ted Kennedy, a long day out in the sun and a subsequent sunburn to end all sunburns led him to his aptly titled code name that has stuck ever since. Apparently, this wasn’t the first time he had forgotten to put on sunscreen, so the code name is not done in bad taste.
Ted Kennedy
Karen Pence (“Hummingbird”)
Karen Pence may not have received as much limelight as the first lady during the time of her husband’s vice presidency, but that doesn’t mean that she wasn’t allocated a code name from the secret service. After her husband picked a name starting with “H”, she couldn’t resist going for “Hummingbird”, which is reflective of her calm demeanor and kind nature, while also giving a nod to her favorite bird species. We give her extra credit for the creativity that went into the choice.
Karen Pence
Al Gore (“Sawhorse” or “Sundance”)
Al Gore “won” the 2000 presidential election, until a recount saw George W. Bush elected and his hopes of reaching the top office dashed forever. Always one to make jokes about himself, at some point he suggested that he was so boring, that his real name was being used as his code name. His real code name was actually “Sawhorse” in the time he was in public office, and “Sundance” after he entered the presidential race.
Al Gore
John McCain (“Phoenix”)
Because of his background as an army vet, it’s no surprise that presidential hopeful John McCain was called “Phoenix”, a nod to his home state and to the city he enlisted in. The code name was also given to him to acknowledge his status as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam war, meant to indicate that he had risen from the ashes to the point that he was now possibly going to become the most powerful man in the free world.
John McCain
Lyndon B. Johnson (“Volunteer”)
Lyndon B. Johnson became the president of the United States after John F. Kennedy was assassinated in a harrowing day that lives on in infamy. Affectionately called “LBJ”, you might think that he was referred to by the same nickname when his secret service detail dealt with his affairs. This didn’t end up being the case, and in one of the biggest mysteries to this day, “Volunteer” was chosen. Perhaps it had to do with his willingness to volunteer to pick up the pieces after the tragedy involving his predecessor.
Lyndon B Johnson
Tim Kaine (“Daredevil”)
For this former vice presidential candidate, the code name “Daredevil” was a fitting one, mostly because Tim Kaine was well known for being a man of many wild pursuits. And by many wild pursuits, we mean no wild pursuits. In a feat of great irony and humor, the secret service called him by this nickname in parody of his soft nature and calm demeanor. Needless to say, Tim enjoyed the code name very much, apparently laughing out loud when he first heard about it.
Tim Kaine
Gerald Ford (“Passkey”)
In one of the best-kept secrets of the White House, we may never find out exactly why President Gerald Ford ended up being referred to as “Passkey” by his secret service colleagues. Rumors suggest that it has to do with his reputation as someone who didn’t tip very well wherever he went. Often, he would give $1 in situations that demanded twenty times that amount. Always asking his security detail if they had spare change on him, his passing of the buck earned him a nickname and a reputation to boot.
Gerald Ford