Do Presidents Do Their Own Holiday Shopping?

Do Presidents Do Their Own Holiday Shopping?

While the masses scramble around to pick up their last-minute gifts for Christmas, it's hard to picture the President of the United States heading to the mall and picking out presents for the First Family. However, President Obama and past presidents have joined the masses for some holiday shopping.

As we see a sneak peek of NBC's special "A White House Christmas: First Families Remember," holiday shopping for a president may not be an average trip to the store with cameras in his face and people crowding around, but presidents have still managed time to buy gifts for their loved ones over the years.


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President Obama did some last-minute Christmas shopping last year with his dog, Bo, for whom he is buying a present in the footage in the clip. While the President went Christmas shopping once again this year--this time taking his daughters, Sasha and Malia, to a bookstore--his wife isn't too keen on the First Family shopping during the holidays.

"I've had my little sneak-out moments but Christmas time is not the time for me to be out in the malls with Secret Service," First Lady Michelle Obama says. "We kind of get in the way of everybody else's shopping and I don't want to be an irritant, so [we do] a lot of online stuff."

Among the holiday festivities for the First Family is the annual Congressional holiday party at the White House. With a crowd of over a thousand Congressmen and celebrities at the party, Hillary Clinton recalls being worn out greeting guests with her husband, Bill.


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"Bill and I stood in the line; we shook thousands and thousands of hands. At the end of the receiving line, my hand would be practically paralyzed and I'd go thrust it into cold water," the former First Lady recalls. "It was just a great experience, although it was exhausting, I'll be honest."

Watch the video for a sneak peek of "A White House Christmas: First Families Remember," which airs in its entirety tonight (Dec. 20) at 8 p.m. on NBC.