dailymail We tend to hold those in political power to a higher standard than we do ourselves. We see them as the golden moral pillars of society; perfect humans who never so much as double park. Why? Great question. Politicians and the people that surround them are, in fact, normal humans. Hence, they are susceptible to the same struggles and moral failings as anyone, and that means that they can be pretty crappy parents sometimes. Though the children of politicians are some of the most privileged in the nation, with all the attention on mom, dad, or both, these kids can sometimes go a little crazy and wind up known more for all the trouble, legal and otherwise, they get themselves into. Here are some of the worst political children. By the end, you’ll think your kid is a saint.
From Peanuts To Power (Jimmy Carter’s Daughter)
Instagram Once a lowly peanut farmer, Jimmy Carter eventually rose to power as one of the most popular one-term presidents in history. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for his daughter. Amy Carter was arrested four times during her father’s presidency (three times for protesting South African apartheid and once for protesting the CIA). All this protesting eventually caused her to flunk out of Brown University.
Meeting With The Enemy
Instagram Donald Trump is a headline machine, but even he can’t take all the attention from his son. Donald Trump Jr. found himself in deep trouble following accusations of his meeting with a Russian lawyer in 2016. Allegedly, the meeting involved Donald Jr. receiving incriminating intel about then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Overall, it’s just a sticky situation. Speaking of sticky situations, see what happens to little Barron Trump next.
Alice In Wonderland (Teddy Roosevelt’s Daughter)
Instagram Judging by her behavior, it seemed like the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt was in a wonderland of her own. Alice was well known for her partying ways, which back then consisted of smoking in public, chewing gum and bringing real snakes to parties. But as you’ll see, Alice wasn’t the only one in her family to bend the rules.
All In The Family (Roosevelt’s Son)
Instagram Alice wasn’t the only Roosevelt to challenge the conventions of society. Her brother, Quentin, was quite the rebel himself. He was the leader of the self-proclaimed “White House Gang” which included Quentin and a number of other well-known Washington children. Together, the gang roller skated through the Oval Office with snakes wrapped around their arms while the President was having important meetings. Seriously though, what’s with the Roosevelt kids and snakes?
Father Doesn’t Always Know Best (Reagan’s Daughter)
Instagram What do you do when your father is president but you disagree with nearly everything he says and does? Well, in the case of Patti Davis, you go around making speeches about it. Ronald Reagan had a hard time keeping his daughter on a leash during his presidency as she ran around protesting his policies. At least she didn’t lash out in ways like Abe Lincoln’s children did.
Abe’s Not So Honest Children
Instagram Abraham Lincoln is often viewed as one of America’s best presidents. However, even a man known for his courage and honesty can’t control his sons. William and Tad Lincoln were both called “the little devils” for their rambunctious actions. At one point, the two stole a goat, hitched their sled to it and rode it through the White House. Kids just don’t rebel like they used to. Check out how the Bush daughters broke the rules next.
Getting Dirty In D.C.
Instagram To round off this list, we head back to Washington D.C. to check in on the Obamas. Even though her father exited the White House in 2017, Malia still found plenty of reasons to party it up. There are a few videos circulating of Malia getting down and dirty in a late-night Washington D.C. club. The controversial video of her smoking weed and twerking with her friends certainly went against her father’s stoic image, but the damage was already done. Maybe she learned a thing or two from the final person on this list.
Girls Will Be Girls (George W’s Daughters)
Instagram The Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara, were your typical teenage girls. But when you’re the daughter of the president, your actions are blown way out of proportion. The two made national headlines when they were caught by police in Texas for underage drinking at the age of 19. They also tried to ditch their Secret Service detail multiple times, even running red lights in the process. A little naughty, perhaps, but nothing compared to the guy up next.
James Madison Can’t Handle His Adopted Son
Wikipedia John Payne Todd was the adopted son of James Madison, but he certainly didn’t act like it. Todd was constantly in trouble with his father. At one point, he nearly drained the entire family fortune into his drinking and gambling habits. So much so that he had to spend time in “debtors prison.” You could say his mother wasn’t too happy about that, but this story gets even worse.
Tarnishing The Clinton Name
Instagram Chelsea Clinton didn’t need to do much work to tarnish the family name (her mother and father already have that covered). However, Chelsea wanted in on the fun. In 2016, WikiLeaks announced that Chelsea used funds from the Clinton Foundation to pay for her expensive wedding. You could say that falls under the category of “illegal.” Maybe she got some tips from the family you’ll see next.
The Revenge Of John Payne Todd
Wikipedia That’s right, John Payne Todd was such a pain in the butt, it calls for two parts. After his stepfather died, John went behind his mother’s back and tried to sell many of his father’s personal belongings to pay off gambling debts. That’s so evil it makes the next incident seem tame.
John Adams Keeps It In The Family
Wikipedia Depending who you ask, the following incident may or may not be morally wrong. John Adams II, the son of John Quincy Adams was a real family man. In fact, he loved his family so much that he married his first cousin Mary Catherine Hellen in the White House. Now, this was 1828 so maybe we can give him the benefit of the doubt. We can’t say the same for the next person though.
The Queen Of The Cat Fight
Wikipedia Catfighting wasn’t just invented in the 2004 film Mean Girls. No, Letty Tyler Semple (daughter of 10th President John Tyler) perfected the art long ago. When Letty’s mother died, President Tyler remarried a woman named Julia Gardiner. Over the years, Gardiner and Semple participated in catfight after catfight. Twenty years into it all, Letty accused Julia of seducing her own husband, James Semple. Hardly “presidential behavior,” but it’s mild compared to some others were about to see.
Like Father Like Daughter
Instagram We already covered the Bush twins on this list, but where do you think they got their behavior? “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” so they say. President George W. Bush was known for his love affair with alcohol. His hard-partying ways came to a climax when he was arrested in 1976 for drunk driving. At least he didn’t try to burn the White House down like the next person.
Burning Down The House
Instagram Fine, Luci Johnson didn’t intentionally try to burn the White House down, but she came pretty close. On one of Lyndon B. Johnson’s first nights in the White House, Luci and a friend tried to light the fireplace. The fire got out of hand and spread around the room. Thankfully it was ultimately contained, but they came close to making the wrong kind of history.
How About A Little Caviar Before Bed
Instagram We can’t really blame this one on Barron Trump since he was too young to even notice what was going on, but it’s worth a mention anyway. According to an interview in 2013, Melania Trump mentioned that every night, she would slather her son in a caviar cream from head to toe. Alright, that’s enough Trump talk for one day. Let’s head across the pond and see what kind of trouble the royal family gets into.
The Heir And The Spare
Instagram The two famous English princes, William and Harry (often called “the heir and the spare”) have their fair share of headlines. However, it’s Harry that seems to attract the most attention. He started young, too. At the age of 17, Harry was rushed to a rehabilitation center for apparently smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. Seems like an overreaction, right? Well, as you’re about to see, royal families do not like when their name is tarnished.
The Ultimate Rebellion
Instagram All kids rebel against their families at one time or another, but this one takes the cake. Princess Stephanie of the Monaco Royal Family showed the ultimate act of rebellion when she married elephant trainer Franco Knie in 2001. After the wedding, Stephanie moved herself and her three children into Knie’s circus caravan. As you’ll soon see, this type of behavior is quite normal for the Monaco Royal Family.
Who Needs Wedlock?
Instagram We’ve already seen how the Monaco Royal Family likes to bend the rules. Let’s see what else they consider “normal.” Prince Albert of Monaco made headlines when he had a couple of illegitimate children in the early 2000’s. Should be a big deal, right? Wrong. Apparently, every generation for the last 100 years has had an illegitimate child in the family. This makes the next political child seem normal in comparison.
Biden Gets Busted
Instagram It turns out the Obama/Biden White House was full of reckless party animals. Leading the helm of this naughty group is Ashley Biden. While she claims her partying past is behind her, she can’t undo the facts. In 1999, Biden was arrested for marijuana possession. On top of that, it’s well known that Ashely was keen on sex, cocaine and just about anything else she could get her hands on. Allegedly, Ashley leads a clean life now.