388: The History of Secret Service Code Names

The Secret Service's presidential codenames—far from being truly secret—reveal a quirky, often absurd tradition that blends personal identity, regional pride, and unintentional irony. From Edith Wilson’s baffling 'Grandma' to Lyndon B. Johnson’s uninspired 'Volunteer' and Donald Trump’s on-the-nose 'Mogul,' these names expose how whimsy and symbolism collide in the highest echelons of power. The episode dissects the origins of these codenames, tracing them back to Harry Truman’s 1945 'General' and exploring how first ladies like Eleanor Roosevelt earned 'Rover' for her wartime travels, while others like Lady Bird Johnson were saddled with names that felt more like nicknames than security code. The real shocker? These names are rarely kept confidential—leaked through government filings, overheard agents, or even leaked by the presidents themselves. The episode doesn’t just chronicle the list; it critiques the culture behind it: a system where a leader’s identity is reduced to a word that might sound cool to a bureaucrat but feels deeply inadequate to the person it’s meant to protect. And when the codename is as tone-deaf as 'Grandma' or as cringey as 'Mogul,' it’s not just a joke—it’s a reflection of the absurdity of power itself.