Presidential Couples That Have Surprisingly Been Able To Maintain A Happy Marriage Despite Controversy
It's interesting to note that only two former United States presidents have divorced and only one has never married. Despite the stress of having the toughest job in the entire world, many presidents are still able to keep their marriages intact.
Even though the first lady isn't elected, they're still under the microscope. In fact, the first couple's companionship is under constant pressure. It begs the questions as to which presidents were able to maintain the most healthy and sustainable marriages, and which ones were quietly falling apart in office. This article takes a deeper look into the presidential relationships that we believe we know and love.
Harry And Bess Truman
The love story between Harry and Bess Truman began all the way back in grade school. Truman set incredible precedence when it came to talking about presidential families. He and Bess were on record many times defending their daughter Margaret because they had strong feelings that their family had nothing to do with his time in office.
It's very different now as Donald Trump has his daughter and son-in-law working as senior advisors in the White House. Nonetheless, Harry and Bess had a long, trusting, and warm marriage that was very admired all over the U.S.
Calvin And Grace Coolidge
The Coolidge marriage was a happy one. Calvin was known to have a somewhat normal (for the time) sexist attitude towards life and expected himself to be the bread-winner and Grace to be the bread-maker.
When Grace was asked about how they were able to keep their marriage intact, she talked about their humor and wit toward each other. Despite Calvin being widely considered incredibly bland and reticent, Grace said that their marriage was anything but. In fact, Grace said that her husband had a "legendary" sense of comedic timing.
Jimmy And Rosalyn Carter
Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter have been together for 72 years. As of right now, they're second to only George and Barbara Bush in the longevity department. He's the oldest living president and she's the oldest living first lady.
The couple's companionship became very evident following Jimmy's defeat to Ronald Reagan. They started writing books together about their lives and began to engage in a variety of social activism projects. They have since been seen as a single, collaborative unit who are rarely apart from each other.
George And Barbara Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush and Barbara Bush were married for 73 years. Think about that for a second, over seven decades these two were navigating life together. In fact, George was still writing Barbara love letters well into his 90s.
Just the sheer length of time together in the public eye is enough to deserve our affection in this article. They were devoted parents and always put family before politics (which may seem like an obvious statement, but in today's political environment it's certainly not a given).
John And Jackie Kennedy
Despite what many people think (and perhaps, rightly so), Jackie and John's marriage was very secure. They loved, respected, and supported one another without any questions asked. In Jackie's perspective, there were probably a few more questions that should've been asked considering how often JFK would turn to other sexual partners.
Many people think that this was a wedge in their marriage, and to some extent it was, but it wasn't as big of a burden as many of the other presidents who cheated. Jack was a very devoted co-parent, and husband. for whatever it's worth.
Franklin And Eleanor Roosevelt
It's a question that we are going to have to face for many of these presidents, but, can a man be said to have a good marriage to a woman if he regularly seeks sex outside of the marriage? In Roosevelt's case, the marriage was never intimate as they both had other romantic partners to do that with.
But, there's no denying that the Roosevelts' were influential political and social leaders to the likes of which may never be repeated again. They were both incredibly successful in their own right, which, I guess makes up for their lack of interest in each other physically.
George And Laura Bush
George W Bush's presidency had its fair share of challenges. But, when it came to Dubya's relationship and marriage to Laura Bush, everything seemed to be smooth sailing.
They operated a very successful marriage and genuinely admired each other and enjoyed each other's company. They successfully raised two children in the White House (twin girls, at that!) and it was nearly impossible to see them together and not notice how much love and affection they have for one another.
Abraham And Mary Todd Lincoln
Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln had a very interesting relationship. Mary Todd was notoriously not easy to get along with, but incredibly smart and sharp. Abraham has an incredible amount of respect for Mary Todd and relied on her judgment with every important decision that he made.
She not only acted as his wife but his mother as well. If he had a sore throat, she would make sure that he took care of his health before doing anything else. She mothered her husband like she did her kids. The Lincolns had one of the most passionate romances in presidential history.
Lyndon And Lady Bird Johnson
A lot of people forget just how important Lady Bird Johnson was to Lyndon's success. When Lydon served away from Washington during the war, Lady Bird stepped in and ran his office seamlessly (almost as if she had been waiting in the wings for her moment).
When Lyndon returned, she stepped aside right away. But, Johnson was known for fooling around. He had a completely separate love life from his wife and it almost led to a divorce. He almost remarried to another woman named Alice Glass, but decided against it and stayed married to Lady Bird.
Richard And Pat Nixon
Richard Nixon's presidency probably (hopefully) didn't end in the way that he had dreamt it up. Recent biographies have done very little to soften his true image, except for in one area: his marriage.
There has been some revision when it came to the connection that Richard and Pat shared. It was undeniable and genuine. Nixon was known to alienate not only himself but his wife as well. But, they both seemed to have a deep understanding of each other even if it didn't necessarily come to light in public.
Dwight And Mamie Eisenhower
Well, Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower had a little bit of a tumultuous marriage. He's one of the few presidents who had a mistress that was almost undeniable. His infatuation with his British adjunct and secretary, Kay Summersby, loomed over their marriage.
In fact, Eisenhower was planning on divorcing Mamie, but was discouraged by his inner circle. They figured that if he was to separate from his wife, it would have a serious effect on his career both politically, and militarily. He held off on getting that divorce.
Ronald And Nancy Reagan
The Reagans were very close, some would even say inseparable. A lot of people forget that they were married for 52 years. Their inseparability was almost a fault to their outside relationships with their kids and co-workers.
Their children, both by Reagan's first marriage to Jane Wyman (Michael and Maureen), and their two children together (Ron and Pat) were shut out of the couple's intimate inner circle. But, there is no doubt that Nancy and Ron had unending love for each other. Nancy's devotion to Ronald after his Alzheimer's became very apparent. She stayed by his side every waking minute.
Gerald And Betty Ford
Gerald and Betty Ford married on October 15th, 1948. They were married for 58 years before the former president's death in 2006. They have the third longest marriage in presidential history. Their relationship was based on mutual respect and love that they had for each other.
On many occasions, Gerald Ford would talk about "the high point in his life" was meeting and then being able to marry Betty. Even though she didn't agree with her husband politically on a lot, she made sure that he was honest with himself with every decision he made as a president.
Herbert And Lou Hoover
Herbert and Lou Hoover met at Stanford University and married in 1899. Their first few years together, they lived in China because of Herbert's job with the Chinese government.
They had a very strong love for each other that was only strengthened by the first 14 years they spent together traveling the world. Lou wasn't someone who gave too many speeches or caused too much controversy. She kept a fairly low profile and acted as a base for Herbert to fall on whenever he needed it.
Bill And Hillary Clinton
Bill and Hillary Clinton have become one of, if not the most powerful couple in American politics. They have had a little bit less intimacy than the Kennedy's or the Carter's, but they do have a strong love for each other.
Since Bill's affairs are out in the open, there are many people who speculate just how much love they have for each other. It really is hard to see how genuinely they feel about each other when they both have been forced to hide their emotions in public. The fact that they're even still together should tell you everything you need to know.
James And Dolley Madison
James and Dolley Madison weren't married until later in life. Dolley had been married prior to James, who would end up being the fourth president of the United States. Dolley is known for turning the new nation's capital from a dull swamp into a thriving social scene.
They were one of America's founding couples but never had any children together. After the Madison presidency, James and Dolley decided to move back to Virginia. They had an unbinding love for each other that was based around Madison's quick-witted humor.
George And Martha Washington
The evolution of the relationship between George and Martha Washington is one to behold. It began as a traditional marriage in a semi-aristocratic society and ended in a strong romance and marriage that became one to admire for future presidents.
The two were at the forefront of many events that changed the course of history and shaped the United States. They both led by the example of what a marriage of their stature should be. She always stood by her husband's side and was aware of how unique her position was being the first first lady of the United States.
Barack And Michelle Obama
Barack and Michelle Obama stand out as a beacon of mutual respect and support to their family and friends. They both have incredible strength, and while you might not agree with Barack politically, you have to admire his genuine love for his children and wife.
It's hard to say that the White House saw a more smoothly functioning couple walking its hallways. The Obama's always put their family first and as a result, they never had any familial scandals that drove a wedge into their relationship.
Woodrow And Edith Wilson
Many people believe that Edith Wilson was truly the first female president of the United States. After Woodrow suffered from a stroke, Edith basically took over the role of the POTUS. She was going to stay in that position until her husband was ready to resume his duties.
This story should be enough to show you the level of commitment and dedication these two had for each other. She would work all day attending meetings that the president should be at and then tend to Woodrow, who was bedridden for over a year, at night.
Donald And Melania Trump
Well, considering they are the current first couple, they probably don't need too much of an introduction. Quite a bit of attention has been surrounding Donald and Melania because they live strangely separate lives in the White House.
Out of every first couple, they seem to be the most distant. It's not to say that they don't have a very close relationship, but the many allegations towards Donald Trump, while he's been in office, has probably distanced them a tad. It's not that he seems uninterested in her, but he seems to have other priorities right now.
