scorecard15 presidential Secret Service codenames and the stories behind them - from Panda to Rawhide
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15 presidential Secret Service codenames and the stories behind them - from Panda to Rawhide

Eleanor Roosevelt: Rover

15 presidential Secret Service codenames and the stories behind them - from Panda to Rawhide

John F. Kennedy: Lancer

John F. Kennedy: Lancer

Though the Camelot legend of Kennedy's dreamy life was reportedly invented by his wife after his death to put an idealistic spin on a relatively practical president who was plagued by personal drama and tragedy, Kennedy's code name harkens back to Lancelot, one of King Arthur's heroic Knights of the Round Table.

Jackie Kennedy: Lace

Jackie Kennedy: Lace

The first lady Jackie Kennedy's code was fitting for her image as one of the most elegant residents in the history of the White House, who wore lace for her high-profile wedding to the popular Sen. Kennedy and during events like a widely covered state visit to France.

Jimmy Carter: Deacon

Jimmy Carter: Deacon

Carter's open devotion to his Christian faith made this codename spot-on. After his retirement from politics, Carter even spent time teaching Sunday school.

Amy Carter: Dynamo

Amy Carter: Dynamo

Though it's not clear how the president's eldest daughter came to be known as "Dynamo," the nickname shares a first letter with her father's codename. Carter was the first child to live in the White House since JFK and would go on to be an active participant in 80's and 90's activism.

Nixon: Searchlight

Nixon: Searchlight

Nixon's given codename adds an ironic tinge to his legacy in the context of the night raid that set off the Watergate scandal and led to Nixon's resignation.

Ronald Reagan: Rawhide

Ronald Reagan: Rawhide

The former actor had appeared as a cowboy on-screen, but Reagan's passion for all things Western also shaped his image as president, saying once at the 1988 GOP convention that his run for president was like lighting "a prairie fire...fed by passionate ideas and convictions."

Susan Ford: Panda

Susan Ford: Panda

Though it's not known how Ford's daughter was assigned the animal-friendly code name, it presumably set up the opportunity to identify the party she hosted in the White House for her high school classmates as Panda's prom.

Barbara Bush: Tranquility

Barbara Bush: Tranquility

It's not precisely known how the first lady received this name, but after her death, former Secret Service agent Jonathan Wackrow wrote that the name "exemplified her demeanor and its calming, humanizing and gentle effect on those around her."

Bill Clinton: Eagle

Bill Clinton: Eagle

Though he never reached the rank of Eagle during his time as a Boy Scout, Clinton was given perhaps the most patriotic code name of them all.

Hillary Clinton: Evergreen

Hillary Clinton: Evergreen

The first lady's name could be considered a foreshadowing of her political career that would grow to include a presidential nomination. Clinton's codename used during the 2016 presidential election was the same security code name that she had during her time in the White House.

George W. Bush: Trailblazer

George W. Bush: Trailblazer

In recent years, the White House Communications Agency has grown more open to requests from presidents to change their names if they don't like them, as the second Bush did from the less-impressive "Tumbler" upon moving into the White House.

Barack Obama: Renegade

Barack Obama: Renegade

Though the name matches the bold optimism of Obama's campaign, the president reportedly just chose his favorite from a security-approved list of proposed words that started with the letter "r."

Donald Trump: Mogul

Donald Trump: Mogul

Though he said in a 2015 candidate debate that he would choose the name "Humble" for himself, the one he was ultimately assigned was likely inspired by decades spent in a real estate dynasty handed down from his father.

Melania Trump: Muse

Melania Trump: Muse

It's been suggested the first lady's name refers back to her career in front of the camera as a model in New York City before she met her mogul husband.

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