Meet the Most Controversial Politicians America Ever Had

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the most controversial of them all? 

While many find President Trump to be controversial, his entire effect on America has not yet been realized. Even though some of his tweets may be offensive, he is hardly the first president to act on views that exploit and deepen significant ideological disagreements.

Do you remember that time when former President George W. Bush banned wearing jeans at the White House? Or when he approved going to war in Iraq? Let’s not forget about the extramarital affairs that various presidents had and how many were charged for various other reasons. These are just a few of the things American politicians have done over the years.

Who are the notoriously controversial politicians? The following ten are:

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Photo by Chrisdorney from Shutterstock

1. John F Kennedy

We couldn’t hold ourselves back from mentioning one of the most disputed and well-known presidents, J.F. Kennedy. From the fact that he and his family lobotomized his sister Rosemary Kennedy to his extramarital affairs with the beautiful actress Marilyn Monroe, John F. Kennedy was by far the most controversial politician in American history. Maybe he liked to be in the spotlight, or maybe the entire family was under a curse we will never know.

There is no surprise that several conspiracy theories connect him to Marilyn Monroe’s death, and everybody still suspects him as the main villain of the situation. This is again one of those circumstances where everything will remain just a mystery… because we will never know for sure what happened for real.

2. Ronald Reagan

Do you remember the “Iran-Contra Affair”? This incident is still a black mark in American history. During the time Ronald Reagan was president, seven Americans were held hostage by terrorists in Iran. And while everybody else was interested in saving them, he said he was not interested in negotiating with Iranians. However, National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane ignored the law by traveling to Iran to strike a deal to send the Middle Eastern nation weapons in exchange for help.

Later, it was discovered that part of the funds designated for the weaponry had been illegally transferred to Nicaragua to help the Contras, an anti-communist organization, in violation of a U.S. constitutional law. Even if Ronald Reagan wasn’t charged with a crime, a lot of his administration personnel were convicted in what became widely known as the “Iran-Contra Affair.”

3. Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon was the 37th US president (1969-1974) and was tightly connected to the Watergate scandal. During the 1972 presidential campaign, it was discovered that Nixon’s associates had entered the Democratic campaign headquarters. This discovery sparked a series of cover-ups that led to Nixon’s resignation, the only time this has ever happened in American history.

However, before this incident, Nixon wasn’t exactly a likable political figure, mostly because of his obsessive personality. Even today, after so many years, Nixon remains the most controversial American president of all time. Some people were happy that he was dismissed, while others considered him a good president. What do you think about this? We are very curious about your personal opinion.

4. Warren G. Harding

Like many other political figures, Warren G. Harding was also a man who liked to, let’s say, “explore” other places during his marriage. He also had a bastard daughter, who was the result of his affair with a 19-year-old woman. But this wasn’t the only getaway for him, because, for a couple of years, he also had intimate relationships with the wife of a store owner, who ended up blackmailing him during the elections.

However, these weren’t the only major actions this former president is known for. In his crew, a lot of the members were corrupt and involved in various weird dealings, and the “Teapot Dome Scandal” is one of them. This scandal made him sign his resignation and leave the office with a very bad reputation. That’s why he is still seen as one of the worst American presidents.

5. Bill Clinton

There is no surprise that during his 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton was surrounded by rumors of his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Further, when Arkansas state employee Flowers claimed that she and Clinton had a 12-year relationship, those accusations gained popularity in the tabloids; however, both Bill Clinton and his wife denied the accusations.

Later on, during a court case about one of his affairs, everybody found out about Monica Lewinsky, and the shock was pretty big. Even though he initially denied this affair, after a while he admitted it and ended up getting charged with obstruction of justice and perjury. With ups and downs, Bill Clinton remains a very influential political figure and is also among the most popular presidents.

6. Hilary Clinton

Hilary Clinton has an impressive resume that makes many other politicians look bad. She served as first lady for eight years in a row, was a senator from New York, the secretary of state under President Obama, a past opponent for the presidency, and the first woman in politics to get significant support for the presidential nomination from a U.S. political party. She is viewed by many as a smart and prominent political feminist.

However, despite all this, she is still equally stigmatized. Her conduct in Benghazi and the use of a personal email server may be what made her most notorious. Many believe that the Democrats’ decision to support such a divisive candidate cost them the 2016 elections.

7. George W. Bush

W’s presidency was one of the most controversial from the first day. Even more controversial than Kennedy! Although he was declared the winner of the 2000 election by the Supreme Court rather than the popular vote, his sky-high polling results in the wake of 9/11 gave him an unheard-of level of popularity and influence. The ironic part is that 61% more Republicans than Democrats supported what he was doing.
Do you recall the extent of Hurricane Katrina’s damage? Sheesh! We don’t want to bring up the fact that his administration in New Orleans was more than inadequate and that many people criticized his ability to manage things correctly.

During his presidency, America also faced a huge economic issue, almost similar to what happened during the Great Depression.

What do you think about the George W. Bush era? Tell us in the comments.

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Photo by Evan El-Amin from Shutterstock

8. Barack Obama

Although Barack Obama was a very popular president, he also faced a bit of controversy. Despised among Republicans because of the healthcare reform law called “Obamacare,” but also very loved by the Democrats, Obama had to maintain a good economy and a strong independent state after the W’s presidency, which we stated earlier was a bit more, let’s say, controversial.

However, there were a lot of people who continued to say that he wasn’t a good president because of his background and decisions, which managed to divide the country more than ever. What do you think about this? Is it true? Tell us in the comments.

9.  Donald Trump

There is no point in denying that Trump is by far one of the most controversial politicians in American history! He has been charged with several bad things, including racism and xenophobia, but he has also been accused of holding women in lower regard than men. Even though he was despised by many individuals who vowed never to vote for him again (if they had done it before), he has no intention of stopping this behavior.

One may think that if he were completely banned from social media, he would never do or say weird things publicly. Oops! This wasn’t always the case with Donald Trump. What do you think? What do you think about the possibility of him winning the presidency once more? Tell us in the comments.

Until the next interesting article, check out one of our all-time favorites: 10 Celebrities Who Went Into Politics.

One Response

  1. Well, you can say what you want about all of the above, but two stand out as helping the country during their presidency. John F. Kennedy and Donald Trump. Kennedy was a playboy but held the country together and Trump had this country running like a well-oiled company. The Economy was great and was in better shape then the former president left it!
    Now, why wasn’t Biden included as one of the worst ,ever? No one wants to say anything about Joe but he’s running us into the ground!

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