The presidency of the United States is a difficult job—arguably the most difficult in the world—that’s been known to take a physical, emotional and psychological toll on the men who have held the job.
As a result, Americans rightfully scrutinize the general health of those who seek to hold the office, which has led to a number of secrets among past presidents and presidential candidates.
So Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s decision to withhold her pneumonia diagnosis—and any other health conditions she may currently be suffering—is far from unusual in American politics. But such obfuscation has been, historically, due to serious underlying health issues that likely would have been seen as disqualifying by the electorate.
Here are some of the examples:
Andrew Jackson—During the time the seventh president was elected, candidates relied solely upon surrogates to do the campaigning on their behalf. Still, he was a war hero, so his many different health concerns were never mentioned. But in not-so-technical medical terms, he was a “hot mess” with a laundry list of issues upon issues, including:
- battle scars on his face and hands from the Revolutionary War (he served as a messenger at the age of 12);
- small pox scars at various locations all over his body;
- two bullets still in his body from duels he engaged in during his younger years;
- damaged digestive tract from bouts of malaria and dysentery from the War of 1812;
- recurring bouts of typhoid, typhus, and dysentery;
- mercury poisoning from a then-standard medical practice called “calomel”; and
- rotting teeth.
Grover Cleveland—the 24th president was in the midst of dealing with the nation’s severe economic depression when he was diagnosed with a non-malignant tumor on the roof of his mouth. To prevent the public from panicking further, he had surgery to remove the tumor on a friend’s yacht while telling the public he was on vacation. The surgery altered his facial appearance, which led to a second reconstructive surgery, which was later explained as the removal of “two bad teeth.” The public never learned the full details of the president’s health concerns until more than 20 years later.
Woodrow Wilson—The 25th Amendment, which establishes the chain of presidential succession, was written because of the 28th president’s health issues. Prior to being elected, he had suffered several mild strokes, which were never made public until after his death. However, late in his final term, he suffered a major stroke that debilitated him for the remainder of his presidency. His wife, Edith, hid this from the public for months, effectively running the country herself with the aide of her husband’s personal assistant—the equivalent of the modern-day chief of staff. The public was outraged.
William H. Taft—The 27th president was morbidly obese when he was first elected, weighing in at more than 340 lbs. at one point. And, although he lost nearly 100 lbs., he suffered from sleep apnea, which also resulted in exhaustion and apnea-induced narcolepsy. The media was far more concerned with Taft’s relationship with his predecessor, President Theodore Roosevelt, than it was with his health.
Franklin D. Roosevelt—the 32nd president suffered a bout of polio at the age of 39 that left him paralyzed below the waist. This was nearly eight years before he was elected governor of New York; the presidency—he was elected four times—came along after that. In part because he refused to accept his prognosis, he had strict orders not to be photographed while in his wheelchair (only a handful of such photos exist today). During his third term, which was spent dealing with World War II, he developed anorexia, which further complicated his health. The general public was largely unaware of his condition, and were shocked to learn of his failing health shortly before his death due to stroke.
John F. Kennedy—the 35th president was a decorated naval war hero who sustained injuries in combat during World War II. And while those injuries took their toll on his body, as one of the youngest men to ever seek the presidency, his campaign projected an image of youthful exuberance. In reality, he suffered from Addison’s disease, colitis, frequent urinary tract infections, severe seasonal allergies, and chronic back pain, and was on numerous medications that had side-effects that could have potentially impaired his decision-making abilities. None of these diagnoses were made public until many years after his assassination.
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