Free upgrades and pardon requests: What it’s like to share a name with a president

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This article was published 17/01/2025 (434 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s not only one Donald Trump in the United States. Nor is there only one William J. Clinton.

Plenty of people share names with famous presidents.

Donald Trump, a veteran and resident of Alabama, said because of his name he often is gifted things for free. William J. Clinton, who goes by Billy, used to live in the Washington, D.C., area, and would receive interesting mail from inmates.

The men with those names who served in the White House will be at the Capitol Monday to attend the inauguration of Trump, the president-elect. The Associated Press talked to people who share names with the presidents to find out what life is like for them.

William J. Clinton, Tennessee resident

“My dad is Bill, not the former president, but he’s just, he’s actually the seventh in the line of William J., William Clintons in our genealogy. So, I’m the eighth. My nine-month-old son is the ninth. … There’s definitely a lot of double takes, though, for sure. And it’s a daily occurrence. I have in my mind always like, well, there’s the daily occurrence of somebody being like, ’Your name’s really Bill Clinton?’”

“Some of the craziest things that have happened because of my name, and especially because I had an address for, you know, basically my whole life that was like in and around the D.C. area, was receiving letters from federal inmates asking for presidential pardons addressed to me, like by accident.”

Donald Trump, a veteran and resident of Clanton, Alabama

“There’s been a lot of times where I got upgraded, you know, like first class. There has been times where I did make reservations for a hotel and they gave me the penthouse free. Well, thank you very much. I’ve had some free meals at restaurants.”

Abraham Lincoln, a banking professional from Washington state

“I’ve found that it’s sort of a blessing and a curse. Like it’s really good for breaking the ice, sort of, people are just sort of amazed and it gets people talking. It also, you know, where first impressions really matter, people aren’t going to forget my name, therefore, they’re not going to usually forget the first impression. So, I’ve got to really always sort of be on my A-game when I’m meeting people.”

“Reservations generally will go under (his wife’s) name because I usually will get a, ‘No really what’s your name?’ Or, ‘You’re messing with me.’”

Grover Cleveland, a fire chief from Cresco, Pennsylvania

“Just growing up, everyone was always pretty shocked on how I have the exact name.”

“I’ll give a credit card at a store that somebody might not know who I am. And yeah, then the manager gets called up and it’s fraud or something like that. So, you know, nope, here’s my ID.”