Stand when you hear "The Star-Spangled Banner" (the U.S. national anthem), which is always played at the occasion of the president's appearance.
Step2
Rise when the president enters the room, if you are not already standing.
Step3
Address the president as Mr. President or Ms. President when speaking to him or her.
Step4
Address all correspondence to The President of the United States of America, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC, 20500.
Step5
Say "the president" or "the president of the United States" when introducing the president to others.
Step6
Put out your right hand and shake his or her proffered one.
Tips & Warnings
Ex-presidents get to retain their titles forever, so when you meet a past president, use the same form of address as you would with a current one.
If the president is a married man, his wife, the first lady, is addressed as Ms. or Mrs. followed by her own last name (be it her maiden or married name).
Heavy security, courtesy of the Secret Service, surrounds the president at all times.
on 9/13/2008
I'm sorry but I won't be meeting the President anytime soon becuse I don't want to get crushed by the Secret Service when I sucker punch him.
on 6/18/2007
It seems that the second time a reporter refers to a president, he/she may revert to a formal surname address (Mr. Bush, for example.) From Fox News to The New York Times, reporting on Bush often refers to the current President as Mr. Bush, rather than President Bush.
on 3/25/2007
My understanding is that the tradition is that the president is called "Mr. President" - and that is as formal as it gets. There is no "his honor" or anything.
Comments
MammaMedea said
on 9/13/2008 I'm sorry but I won't be meeting the President anytime soon becuse I don't want to get crushed by the Secret Service when I sucker punch him.
klezmire said
on 6/18/2007 It seems that the second time a reporter refers to a president, he/she may revert to a formal surname address (Mr. Bush, for example.) From Fox News to The New York Times, reporting on Bush often refers to the current President as Mr. Bush, rather than President Bush.
klezmire said
on 6/18/2007 Why do NPR reporters often refer to the sitting president as Mr. Bush (as in the case of reporting Mr. Bush's recent trip to Albania)?
werdy_nerdy said
on 3/25/2007 My understanding is that the tradition is that the president is called "Mr. President" - and that is as formal as it gets. There is no "his honor" or anything.
bostta said
on 1/25/2007 when talking about the president, is Mr. So and so (his last name) appropriate? Or is the President the only proper way to identify him?