George Washington. Abraham Lincoln. Franklin Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt. These were the incredibly & amazingly good presidents. They were men who served the people.
Being President of the United States might be the most powerful job in the world. And one thing is for sure. History shows it’s also one of the most tempting. Power has a way of testing a person’s moral compass.
Sadly, not every Commander-in-Chief has passed that test. From oil scandals to impeachments. And then some. I checked out accredited polls online and found that these five men were the worst. (I averaged the results.)
They are the men who have left smudges on the presidential seal that no amount of history book polish can quite remove.
1. Warren G. Harding. The 1920s were supposed to be roaring and good. But for Harding, they mostly uttered terrible truths and leaked bribes.
His administration became synonymous with corruption. Most famously was the Teapot Dome scandal. This was where federal oil reserves were secretly leased to private companies in exchange for payoffs.
Harding surrounded himself with friends and cronies. Many of these guys lined their own pockets. By the time the truth came out, Harding was dead, and his reputation was in tatters.
2. Donald Trump. Twice impeached. Lawbreaker. Adulterer. Rapist. And more.
Trump is never far from controversy. His Donald presidency (and beyond) has been a nonstop headline. His first impeachment involved pressuring Ukraine for political favors.
The second followed the January 6th Capitol riots. To this day, he protects those who breached our honored Capitol and the good men and women who served there.
Add in felony convictions for falsifying business records and questionable foreign gifts. And then, probably worse than anything else, is his knack for sidestepping constitutional laws.
Trump stands as one of the most polarizing leaders in modern history. I know that he is revered by some. But these days, it seems that a lot of us revile him.
No matter which side you are on, he is undeniably steeped in scandal.
3. Richard Nixon. Watergate. The word alone defines political disgrace. It all began with a clumsy burglary at the Democratic National Committee. But quickly it became a sprawling web of lies, cover-ups, and tape recordings that shook America’s trust in its government.
He faced certain impeachment. But Nixon resigned in 1974. He was the first and only president to do so. He insisted he was “not a crook,” but the tapes told another story.
4. Andrew Johnson After Lincoln’s assassination, Johnson inherited the big job. The United States was a fractured nation. A lot had gone wrong. But Johnson’s leniency toward former Confederates hurt things more.
And. His violation of the Tenure of Office Act earned him the first presidential impeachment in U.S. history. His presidency remains a cautionary tale of wrong turns. He did not choose statesmanship.
5. Andrew Jackson. Old Hickory was his nickname. He was loved by some but feared by most. His presidency was marked by his explosive temper. He had many personal feuds. His ruthless policies were awful.
His defiance of the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of the Cherokee Nation led to the Trail of Tears. This is a huge stain of moral and political cruelty. A terrible time in our history.
At the time, Jackson’s populism made him a hero of the people. But this should be a big reminder that “the people” aren’t always right.
Power doesn’t just reveal character. Most of the time, power amplifies one’s character. These five men remind us that leadership without integrity can turn history’s brightest office into its darkest stage. We are living it right now.
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“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” — Abraham Lincoln
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“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” — Lord Acton
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“The price of greatness is responsibility.” — Winston Churchill
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“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower
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