Does Malia Obama have Secret Service protection at Harvard?

There is speculation about whether or not 19-year-old Malia Obama has a Secret Service detail at Harvard University where she attends school.

While at least one report from August said that the former president’s eldest daughter will have a Secret Service detail, the move would be an exception to a bill former President Barack Obama himself signed into law more than four years ago.

The legislation restored lifetime Secret Service protection for former presidents, first ladies, and "children of former presidents until they become 16 years of age."

Previously, departing U.S. presidents were only followed by agents for 10 years in order to save on costs, notes Politico.

However, even before the change was made, exceptions were possible. Until 2009, both George W. Bush and Bill Clinton had authorized extended protection for their respective daughters even though they were legal adults and lost their federal coverage.

But Jenna and Barbara Bush and Chelsea Clinton were in a slightly different situation than Malia Obama because they had become college students while their fathers were still in office.

It is unknown if Mr. Obama followed his predecessors’ lead in requesting extra coverage for his eldest child, but, the Washington Post wrote last year that "for Malia, the decision to delay school one year may mean she will not have to be accompanied by the Secret Service contingent that would be required if she [had begun] college [immediately]."

As for the current administration, President Trump has attracted criticism for straining the Secret Service’s budget due to his family’s extensive travel.