Biggest Presidential Scandals in US History
It’s pretty clear that being president of the United States is an awesome job — few people ever want to take on the responsibility because every administration brings its own set of scandals. The Monica Lewinsky scandal, which really should be called the Bill Clinton scandal, for example, has been seared into our brains over and over again.
But Clinton isn’t the only one who has found himself in hot water for his sexual escapades, we can go back to our third president, Thomas Jefferson, and his long-debated involvement with his slave, Sally Hemings. Even the beauty of Camelot during the John F. Kennedy years was anything but perfect.
And of course, other presidents found themselves deep in secret deals and diverted money that marred their administrations — it’s not just about sex. In 2023, Donald Trump’s mugshot for the Georgia election fraud case went viral on social media. Safe to say legal issues surrounding the White House are far from over either.
Read about some of the biggest presidential scandals over the centuries and decide for yourself who messed up the most.
A version of this story was originally published in 2021.
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Thomas Jefferson’s Sex Scandal (1802)
Thomas Jefferson was the first president to have a sex scandal in 1802 when he denied having an affair with his slave, Sally Hemings, and having a family with her. But let’s be clear on the historical facts of this situation, she didn’t have any legal rights, nor was she allowed to deny Jefferson’s “unwanted sexual advances,” per The Jefferson Monticello.
Jefferson was allowed to continue his presidency and in 1998, a DNA test provided credible evidence that the former president fathered at least one of Hemings’ children.
Warren G. Hardings’s Oil Scandal (1922)
Warren G. Harding’s administration faced some heat in 1922 when his Department of Interior Secretary Albert Fall took control of the oil reserves that were located on federal land in Wyoming. Instead of taking bids from private oil companies to have the right to operate those reserves, Fall took bribes, including gifts and no-interest loans for rights to the Teapot Dome oil fields. Of course, he didn’t get to enjoy those sparkly presents because he was found guilty and sent to jail for his involvement in the mess.
John F. Kennedy’s Alleged Affairs (1961-1963)
Most of America didn’t know that JFK had a messy personal life during his administration because they were too busy being sold the perfection of Camelot by the beautiful First Lady Jackie Kennedy. He reportedly preferred blondes for his affairs — a complete 180-degree difference from his brunette wife. It was his special assistant Dave Powers, who procured young women to sleep with the then 43-year-old president — from interns to Marilyn Monroe, the list was allegedly endless.
One Secret Service agent even described his job under the Kennedy administration, via History of Yesterday, “Everybody thought you were risking your life, and you were actually out there to see that he’s not disturbed while he’s having an interlude in the shower with two gals from Twelfth Avenue.”
Richard Nixon’s Watergate Scandal (1972-1974)
Just before Richard Nixon was re-elected president in 1972, there was a break-in at the Watergate Hotel, where the Democratic National Committee headquarters was located in Washington, D.C. The burglary was done by five of Nixon’s campaign workers, and while he wasn’t initially involved with the crime, it was the cover-up, wiretapping and secret recordings by the president and his advisers that shocked America.
On Aug. 9, 1974, Nixon announced his resignation on August 8, claiming that he did not have “a strong enough political base” to continue as president. His successor, Gerald Ford, pardoned him a month later on Sept. 8.
Ronald Reagan & The Iran Contra Affair (1985-1987)
The Iran Contra Affair is messy. The U.S. had an arms embargo against Iran, but with seven American hostages and their lives at stake, Reagan made a secret deal to sell weapons to the country in exchange for the release of our U.S. citizens. The transaction came to light in 1986, when President Reagan admitted to the weapons sales, but claimed it had nothing to do with the return of the hostages.
Bill Clinton’s Affair (1995-1998)
Former President Bill Clinton notoriously had an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky but refused to admit it. (Remember that famous speech? “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.“)
It all took off when Pentagon employee Linda Tripp, who was confided in by Lewinsky, reported it all to lawyer and judge Kenneth Starr. Starr was already on the case regarding an alleged sexual harassment claim with former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones.
After the accusations, th House of Representatives moved toward impeachment for obstruction of justice and perjury, but the Senate saved him with an acquittal in 1998. But blue dresses, cigars and berets never looked the same again to the American public.
George Bush’s Response to Hurricane Katrina (2005)
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Louisiana, and had a catastrophic effect on the city and its surrounding areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) response was sorely lacking as residents struggled to survive in the days after the storm had passed.
Instead of heading right to the devastated areas, Bush surveyed the damage from Air Force One on his way home from vacation — and the outcry ensued. The insensitive flyover made affected Americans furious and it led to Kanye West stating that Bush “doesn’t care about black people” during a Hurricane Katrina telethon.
Donald Trump (2020 – 2021)
After the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Donald Trump became the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice while in office. On January 13, 2021, Congress charged him with “incitement of insurrection” for his role in riling up his supporters before the chaos ensued.
“We fight like hell,” he told the crowd, via NPR. “And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” Trump believed there was election fraud and allegedly encouraged his voter base to charge the Capitol before Congress could certify the Electoral College results. It was a shocking day in American history that has an ongoing investigation with arrests still being made.
Trump’s first impeachment took in 2020 after a formal House inquiry found that he had solicited foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election to help his re-election bid. The Senate acquitted Trump on both instances.
Donald Trump’s Hush Money Trial (2016 -)
On May 29, 2024, Donald Trump became the first president in United States history to be convicted of a crime. Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of fraud related to the hush money given to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
The former president was found guilty of falsifying business records to reimburse his lawyer, Michael Cohen, for the $130,000 payment Cohen personally gave Daniels before the 2016 election.
