Most Embarrassing Moments That Presidents Endured
Embarrassing moments tend to hit a little harder when you are the leader of the free world. All president has some sort of embarrassing slip up, rather big or small, and since they are who they are, all eyes are usually on them. Some slip-ups may be an honest mistake, while others can be deemed immoral. That being said, here are our official picks for the most embarrassing moments that presidents endured.
Trump & Others Get Confused At The Republican Debate
The 2016 Republican debate got pretty awkward, with the most notable victim of the awkwardness being one-term President Donald Trump, as well as Ben Carson, and John Kasich. They were introducing the debate members one by one when the second announcement of Ben Carson was not heard by Carson himself. So, Carson stands there awkwardly while other debaters are announced and step around him. A few introductions later, the same thing happens to Trump, and then again happens to Kasich. They then announced the three confused people one more time, to which they finally got to their podium.
Bush on the USS Lincoln
The Mission Accomplished speech was a televised address from George W Bush on May 1st, 2003. Bush landed on the USS Abraham Lincoln decked out in full flight gear. He then gave a speech in which he ultimately proclaimed that this was the end of the major operations in Iraq. To complete the entire scene, a giant banner that said “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” was displayed behind Bush. It does not take a genius to understand the operations in Iraq were nowhere near being over, with Bush saying in 2009 “Clearly, putting MISSION ACCOMPLISHED on an aircraft carrier was a mistake”.
John Adams is a hermaphrodite and Thomas Jefferson Died
You think the 2020 presidential smear campaigns are bad, just check out what was happening all the way back in the 1800s. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson are what is seen as the birth of negative campaigning. Thomas Jeffersons team accused President Adams of having “hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman”. In return, Adams had his party start a rumor that Thomas Jefferson had died. Literally, people were being told that Thomas Jefferson was dead. Not everyone was clear on what was true on election day, with some people believing their vote for Thomas Jefferson, was actually a vote for Jefferson’s vice president, Aaron Burr.
Jimmy Carter Vs. A Killer Rabbit
Jimmy Carter faced a very odd incident when the press sensationalized an incident where Carter was attacked by a swamp rabbit while fishing. The rabbit apparently jumped in his boat, before he swatted it away using his paddle. However, the media portrayed it as a “Killer Rabbit Attack”. Carter said it was a pretty small deal, but the way the media portrayed the event swayed some voter’s opinions on Carter. One person even asked how someone who let a rabbit get the drop on them would stand up to foreign leaders.
Bush Senior Pukes on the Japanese Prime Minister
George H.W. Bush was on a 12-day trip in Asia and the Pacific when he fainted at an event for 135 diplomats. The president not only fainted in front of all but also lost his lunch all over the lap of the prime minister. Barbara Bush rushed to her husband and covered his mouth with a napkin. After a few moments, the president came to and assured everyone he just had the flu and left the dinner.
Clinton & Monica
Yup, I went there. You were wondering if I would and I totally did. This one is more than embarrassing… Obviously, we all know what took place between Bill Clinton, and Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office. The president was accused of getting oral sex from a young intern in the Oval Office. Clinton denied the allegations with one of the most infamous presidential lines ever said. “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” has been permanently etched in all of our minds for the rest of time, and Clinton was ultimately impeached for the scandal.
Obama Does His Oath Twice
The words in an inauguration can not be flubbed, meaning they pretty much need to be said exactly how it is written in the constitution. That is why when the Chief Justice John Roberts accidentally said one word out of line at the official inauguration, they decided to do the oath again the next day to be safe. The line was supposed to be “I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully,” but instead said, “I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States.”Obama seemed to be a good sport about the entire thing, even joking with the press that it was so much fun, he wanted a second go.
Nixon Resigns
Most presidents have had scandals, but the only president to outright resign because of his actions was Richard Nixon. Simply put, Richard Nixon and his camp authorized the wiretapping of the Democratic Party. Some of those who were involved went public with the story, and Nixon denied any connections. A short time later, it was found that they were the ones directly responsible for the wiretapping. “I am not a crook” is one of the biggest lies ever told and is another line that will be quoted until the end of time. Facing impeachment and criminal charges, Nixon resigned as the president and ultimately flew away in a helicopter with his wife. How crazy is it to think that a generation watched their president just quit being the president?
Embarrassing moments are rough when you are president because typically all eyes and cameras are on you. One good thing about not being the president is that usually when you have an extremely embarrassing moment, it usually is not seen by the entire world and put on the internet for idiots like me to write about in 2020. Did I forget any obvious embarrassing presidential moments? If so, make sure to let me know in the comments below!
