Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
There’s more than one Donald Trump in the United States – and more than one William J Clinton.
Plenty of people share names with famous presidents.
Donald Trump, a veteran and resident of Alabama, said he often was gifted things because of his name.
William J Clinton, who goes by Billy, used to live in the Washington DC area and would receive interesting mail from inmates.
The men with those names who served in the White House will be at the Capitol on Monday (US time) to attend the inauguration of President-elect Trump.
The Associated Press talked to people who share names with the presidents to find out what life is like for them.
“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,” Tennessee resident William J Clinton said.
“So, I’m the eighth. My nine-month-old son is the ninth.
“There’s definitely a lot of double takes … 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 DC 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, said his name came with privileges.
“There’s been a lot of times where I got upgraded, you know, like first class,” he said.
“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, said sharing his name with a former president was “a blessing and a curse”.
“It’s really good for breaking the ice, sort of – people are amazed and it gets people talking.
“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.”
Lincoln said he and his wife usually made reservations under her name.
“Because I usually will get a, ‘no really what’s your name’ or ‘you’re messing with me’,” he said.
Grover Cleveland, a fire chief from Cresco, Pennsylvania, said his name shocked people.
“Just growing up, everyone was always pretty shocked on how I have the exact name,” he said.
“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.”
