The Biggest Presidential Scandals in US History

It’s pretty clear that being president of the United States is an incredible job — one that few people want to take on, because each administration brings its own set of scandals. The Monica Lewinsky scandal, which should really be called the Bill Clinton scandal, for example, has burned itself into our memories over and over again.

But Clinton is not the only one who has found himself in trouble for his sexual escapades, we can go back to our third president, Thomas Jefferson, and his long-discussed relationship with a slave, Sally Hemings. Even the beauty of Camelot in the time of John F. Kennedy was far from perfect.

Of course, other presidents have found themselves in deep secret deals and diverted money that has ruined their administrations—and it’s not just about sex. In 2023, a mugshot of Donald Trump in a Georgia election fraud arrest went viral on social media. It’s safe to say that the legal troubles surrounding the White House are far from over.

Read about the biggest presidential scandals throughout the ages and judge for yourself who was most at fault.

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 honest about the historical facts of the situation, she had no legal authority, nor was she allowed to refuse Jefferson’s “unwanted sexual advances,” per Jefferson’s Monticello.

Jefferson was allowed to continue as president, and in 1998, a DNA test provided credible evidence that the former president was the father of at least one of Hemings’ children.

Warren G. Hardings Oil Scandal (1922)

Warren G. Harding’s administration faced a bitter dispute in 1922 when his Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall seized control of oil reserves that were located on federal lands in Wyoming. Instead of accepting offers from private oil companies to gain the right to exploit those reserves, Fall accepted bribes, including gifts and interest-free loans for rights to the Teapot Dome oil fields. Of course, he didn’t get to enjoy these shiny gifts, because he was convicted and sent to prison for his role in the mess.

John F. Kennedy’s Alleged Affairs (1961-1963)

Most Americans were unaware that JFK had a messy personal life during his administration because they were too busy being foisted on them by the beautiful First Lady Jackie Kennedy. He reportedly preferred blondes for his affairs—a complete 180-degree change from his brunette counterpart. It was his special assistant Dave Powers who encouraged young women to sleep with the 43-year-old president—from interns to Marilyn Monroe, the list was supposedly endless.

One Secret Service agent even described his work in the Kennedy administration via The story of yesterday, “Everyone thought you were risking your life, and you were there to make sure no one would disturb him while he had sex in the shower with two girls from Twelfth Avenue.”

Richard Nixon’s Watergate Scandal (1972-1974)

Just before Richard Nixon was re-elected president in 1972, the Watergate Hotel, the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, was broken into by five Nixon campaign staffers. Nixon was initially not implicated in the crime, but the cover-up, wiretaps, and secret recordings by the president and his aides shocked America.

On August 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 September 8.

Ronald Reagan and the Iran Contra scandal (1985-1987)

The Iran Contra affair is chaotic. The United States imposed an arms embargo on Iran, but with seven American hostages and their lives in danger, Reagan made a secret deal to sell arms to that country in exchange for the release of our American citizens. The deal came to light in 1986, when President Reagan admitted to the arms sale but claimed it had nothing to do with the return of the hostages.

Bill Clinton’s affair (1995-1998)

Former President Bill Clinton 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 started when Pentagon employee Linda Tripp, whom Lewinsky had confided in, told attorney and judge Kenneth Starr. Starr was already in a case involving an alleged sexual harassment claim with former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones.

Following these accusations, the House of Representatives moved to impeach him for obstruction of justice and perjury, but the Senate saved him by acquitting him in 1998. However, the blue dresses, cigars, and berets never looked the same in the eyes of the American public.

George Bush’s Response to Hurricane Katrina (2005)

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Louisiana, and had a devastating impact on the city and its surrounding areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) response was severely inadequate as residents struggled to survive in the days following the storm.

Instead of heading straight to the devastation, Bush viewed the devastation from Air Force One on his way back from vacation — and that’s when the outcry erupted. The insensitive flyover enraged affected Americans and led to Kanye West declaring that Bush “doesn’t care about black people” during a telethon dedicated to Hurricane Katrina.

Donald Trump (2020–2021)

Following the storming of the Capitol on January 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 inciting his supporters before the chaos broke out.

“We are fighting like hell,” he told the crowd via NPR. “And if you don’t fight like hell, you won’t have a country anymore.” Trump believed there was voter fraud and allegedly encouraged his voters to impeach the Capitol before Congress could certify the Electoral College results. It was a shocking day in American history, with investigations ongoing and arrests still ongoing.

Trump’s first impeachment came in 2020 after a formal House of Representatives investigation found he had sought foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election to aid his reelection. The Senate acquitted Trump on both counts.

Donald Trump’s Concealment 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 hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

The former president was found guilty of falsifying business records to reimburse his attorney, Michael Cohen, for $130,000 that Cohen personally gave to Daniels before the 2016 election.