Nobody lives a spotless life, much less politicians. Every president has skeletons in their closet, some more sinister than others. You might be surprised to learn some of these secret facts about various US presidents.
From skinny-dipping in the Potomac River to killing a man in a duel, all of our leaders seemingly have something to hide. You’d think anyone who had ambitions to become the most powerful person in all of America would know better than to be doing weird stuff, but I guess they just couldn’t resist. Check out these shocking presidential facts and quirks.
1
Harding's Lurid Love Letters
Before becoming president, Warren G. Harding wrote a series of graphic love letters to his mistress, who was the wife of one of his best friends.
2
Skinny Dipper
John Quincy Adams’s morning routine included skinny-dipping in the Potomac River at 5am.
3
Buchanan may have been gay
James Buchanan, was the only president to remain a bachelor his whole life. Some scholars hypothesize that Buchanan may have had at least one romantic relationship with a man. Buchanan and Alabama Senator William Rufus King shared a room at a Washington, D.C. boarding house for more than 10 years.
4
Cute Nickname
George H.W. Bush’s nickname was “Poppy”.
5
Washington's Horror Movie Teeth
George Washington’s dentures were not wooden. They were actually made from a combination of animal bone, some of his original teeth, and human teeth from his slaves.
6
Two Men in One Bed
John Adams once shared a bed with Benjamin Franklin as both men traveled from Philadelphia to Staten Island for a meeting.
7
Obama Didn't Deny Aliens
After Obama left the Presidency, Jimmy Kimmel asked him if he had seen evidence of aliens. He didn't say no, but instead declined to answer.
8
Nixon the Card Shark
Richard Nixon became such a skillful poker player while serving in the Navy during World War II that he was able to use his winnings to help fund his first congressional campaign.
9
A Fake Initial
The ‘S’ in Harry S. Truman didn’t stand for anything.
10
Grover's Secret Surgery
Grover Cleveland had secret surgery at sea due to oral cancer and almost died. He defamed and ruined the reporter that found out about it
11
Honest Abe could have had a genetic disorder
Abraham Lincoln may have had the genetic disorder Marfan Syndrome, which causes people to be very tall and thin.
12
Selfish Voter
Zachary Taylor never voted prior to being on the ballot himself.
13
Polk's Plantation
During his presidential term, James K. Polk secretly purchased a number of enslaved children for his Mississippi cotton plantation.
14
Obama's Secret Habit
Obama was a chain smoker.
15
A Deadly President
Andrew Jackson once killed a man in a duel.
16
Jimmy Carter's Peanut Farm
Jimmy Carter’s famous family peanut farm was actually a multi million dollar farming operation.
17
Nixon Sabotaged Peace Talks
Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger sabotaged peace talks between South and North Vietnam because Nixon believed that if Johnson was able to end the war it would hurt Nixon’s presidential campaign. As a result, 15,000 American soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodians died.
