top of page
"Why aren't you president?"
Why HAVEN'T We Had a Woman President?
In Fillinger's words: "Those in power do not see women and queer people as equal to cis men, nor do they want us to be." (Source: Stage West)
Some Stats:
"As of 1 June 2024, there are 27 countries where 28 women serve as Heads of State and/or Government. At the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years." (Source: UN Women)
According to a September 27,
2023 report from Pew Research,
most Americans surveyed
felt that it wasnt important to
have a woman president.
- "Only one-in-four U.S. adults
say it's extremely or very likely
that the United States will elect
a woman president in their
lifetime. About half (49%) say
this is somewhat likely and 26%
say it's not too or not at all likely."
- 58% of those surveyed said that showing emotions hurts a woman's chances of being elected. 33% said that it hurts a man's chances to show emotions.
- While 48% saw having young children at home as a disadvantage for women candidates, only 7% saw it as a disadvantage for men.
- 31% of Democrats and Democratic leaners said that it is extremely important or very important for the U.S. to elect a woman president in their lifetime. Only 5% of Republicans and Republican leaners said the same. Source: Pew Research
Source: Pew Research
What Happens When Women Run?
- The first woman to officially run for president was Victoria Woodhull (1838-1927) in 1872, although she wasn't taken seriously. She wasn't old enough to assume office (the minimum age is 35), and her views were considered radical. (Source: National Women's History Museum)
- In 1977, Shirley Chisolm (1924-2005) became the first Black woman to run for president and first woman/Black woman to seek a nomination from one of the two major parties (Democrats), which she did not receive.
- There have been 24 women to run for U.S. President since Woodhull, but Hillary Rodham Clinton was the first to become a major party nominee (Democrats in 2016) and the first to win points in the electoral college. Clinton won the popular vote.
- In 2020, Kamala Harris became the first woman Vice President. In 2024, she became the second woman (and first woman of color) to be nominated on a major party ticket.
Sources: NWHM - SC, NWHM - VW,
Center for Politics, Center for American Women and Politics
Gendered Bias and Harrassment
While political mudslinging is never pleasant and often isn't entirely factual, women who run for office are subjected to specifically gendered harassment, such as rape jokes, accusations of trading sexual favors for power, and transphobic insults. This is mulitplied for women of color or LGBTQ+ women. Shirley Chisolm was accused of "vaginal politics" and "piggyback[ing] off the success of the women's rights movement." Here just a few recent examples of memes (and otherwise). Sorry - they're disgusting:
His Chief of Staff
Job Description: the specifics of the position change with each administration, but typically, "the appointed chief of staff serves as the president's right hand, gatekeeper, proxy and overseer for key policy decision processes. There is arguably no person in the executive branch with a better pulse on the West Wing - or access to the president. Ultimately, chiefs of staff are unelected officials who wield enormous power, and the decision of who holds that power often signals the priorities of the White House." (Source: Forbes).
In other words, Harriet is an important, behind-the-scenes force for POTUS.
Since the position was created in 1946, there have been 30 Chiefs of Staff. None of them have been women.
This is a longer video, but it's useful. Three former chiefs of staff talk about their experiences and the jobs. The source page also has some good information about how the job has functioned in different administrations. Chiefs of staff aren't public-facing jobs, so there isn't as much available in terms of videos and interviews as there is for, say, the press secretary.
Source: Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics
His Press Secretary
Job Description: The White House press
secretary is a "senior U.S. official who
oversees the communication of the executive branch
of the U.S. government and who communicates on behalf of the U.S. president across print, broadcast, and Internet channels. The White House press secretary is appointed by the president."
The press secretary addresses the press in daily briefings "to report on actions and events concerning the president and the president's administration." (Source: Britannica)
​
While recent years makes it seem as if this is a job that is highly open to women, as opposed to the Chief of Staff position, there have only been seven female press secretaries in U.S. history:
Dee Dee Myers, 1993-1994, under B. Clinton
Dana Perino, 2007-2009, under G.W. Bush
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, 2017-2019, under D. Trump
​Stephanie Grisham, 2019-2020, under D. Trump
Kayleigh McEnany, 2020-2021, under D. Trump
Jen Psaki, 2021-2022, under J. Biden
Karine Jean-Pierre, 2022-present, under J. Biden
Jean-Pierre is also the first Black woman to serve as White House press secretary.
​
Here Are Some of These Women in Action:
Kayleigh McEnany:
Karine Jean-Pierre:
As a bonus, here's some casual racism/sexism toward Karine Jean-Pierre:
His Secretary
Job Description: Throughout U.S. history, presidents have always had personal secretaries under several different titles. She stands between the POTUS and the rest of the world. No matter how much the First Lady yells or his side chick explains, her job is to refuse to let either of them in to see POTUS unless they're supposed to be there. She also keeps POTUS's secrets, which are often national secrets, so she must be discreet. The job is thankless, stressful, and unseen by the public. The position was historically held by men only (it was a requirement of the job) and has changed depending on the administration. Until 1946, when an official position was created for POTUS's secretary, the job included acting as what we now call Chief of Staff. Since the specific position was created, only women have filled it.
Source: (Clinton White House Archives)
Languages:
Stephanie speaks five languages, and she demonstrates three of them. Here are recordings for pronunciation:
Spanish:
"La Vida, la Libertad, y la Búsqueda de la Feliciadad!"
"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
French:
"La vie, la liberté, et la poursuite du bonheur."
"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Arabic:
"Hey aam tehke maa I masu'ul hala'a"
"Hey, you're talking to the one in charge now."
Regular:
Slow:
"Lake habibe, bella kizib ba'a."
"Listen, dude, cut the crap."
Regular:
Slow:
"Kif fina nelghiya hal assa?"
"What's gonna make this go away?"
Regular:
Slow:
"Yalla, bshufak."
"Cool, see you soon."
Regular:
Slow:
Here's some clips of Sue, the secretary to the VP (and later POTUS) from Veep, although she is very different from Stephanie!
POTUS - Spanish
POTUS - French
Line 1
Line 1 - slow
Line 2
Line 2_slow
Line 3
Line 3_slow
Line 4
Line 4_slow
This MIGHT be the song you're singing:
His Dalliance
Although Bill Clinton was hardly the first president to carry on (often numerous) extramarital affairs while in office, he was the first to face scrutiny for it. And of course, the scrutiny wasn't for his affairs but for lying about them under oath. George Washington was rumored to have cheated frequently on Martha. Grover Cleveland provided financially for a child he conceived with a mistress. John F. Kennedy's exploits are now legendary, including an affair with Marilyn Monroe, but none of them were publicly acknowledged until long after he was assassinated.
Although, this video from Kennedy's birthday party suggests that they weren't totally discreet:
For your vision board:
His Sister
Job Description: Uhhh, none? Dealing drugs and disposing of bodies? Smuggling kids into Mongolia?
Of course, POTUSes throughout history have always had embarrassing relatives. And no one embarrasses you quite like family. Here are five of past POTUSes' most awesome relatives.
Source: Sat. Eve. Post
To be fair, Alice Roosevelt (1884-1980), daughter of Teddy, actually sounds like a lot of fun. She liked to gamble, flirt with men, and smoke cigarettes (in public!). Alice also had a pet garter snake, which she often carried around inside her blouse. For formal events, she would wear dresses that were her own specific shade of blue - "Alice Blue" - and say to arriving guests, "If you haven't anything good to say about someone, come and sit by me." She was constantly showing up to the Oval Office to offer political advice to her father, and Teddy said to one advisor, "I can either run the country or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both."
Lyndon B. Johnson's brother, Sam Houston Johnson (1914-1978) , was... a bit of an alcoholic. The problem with this is that when he got drunk, he would start talking without a filter - especially to reporters. It was particularly an issue, because Sam was embroiled in his brother's political career, from Johnson's campaign to his White House, and he had an unfortunate tendency to start spilling national secrets. Johnson ultimately moved Sam into the White House and only allowed him to leave with a Secret Service detail to intervene if Sam began to blab. Although LBJ was notorious for showing his reportedly large penis to people, and its nickname, Jumbo, is a well-known piece of the presidential historical record, so I'm not sure that he has room to judge.
Sources: Sat. Eve. Post,
Ranker, Mel
Sources: Sat. Eve. Post
Another troublesome sibling, Richard Nixon's little brother, Donald Nixon (1914-1987), owned a hamburger stand. Seems innocuous enough, right? But Donny borrowed $200,000 to invest in his failing restaurant from eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes. Hughes was well-known to be a major defense contractor for the U.S. government, which made then-V.P. Tricky Dick look like he might have given Hughes the contract as a favor in return for his brother's loan. When Nixon was investigated for the Watergate scandal, it was uncovered that Donald was funneling illegal campaign contributions. Still, Nixon didn't trust Donald and had the Secret Service tap his phone.
Billy Carter (1937-1988) was in the major league when it came to embarrassing his brother, Jimmy. After Jimmy left Billy with the family peanut farm to run for president, Billy, who owned a gas station, started brewing and selling "Billy Beer," which, along with his growing alcoholism, barely registers a two on the presidential scandal Richter Scale compared to what came next. Bankrupted by his tanked brewery, Billy used his proximity to the POTUS to establish a relationship with Libya, ultimately causing a global scandal by accepting a "loan" from the Libyan government for $220,000, leading to accusations of offering to influence his brother in Libya's attempts to forge oil contracts with the U.S. As an added bonus, he once urinated on an Atlanta airport runway in front of an audience of reporters and on another occasion, he came under fire for saying that American Jews, who were critical of his relationship with Libya, could "kiss [his] ass."
Sources: Sat. Eve. Post,
Ranker
Sources: Sat. Eve. Post,
Ranker
Yep, that pic of Roger Clinton (1956- ), brother to Bill Clinton, is a mug shot. When Bill was still an Arkansas governor, Roger went to prison in the '80s for a year on charges of selling cocaine to an undercover cop. On video. In 2001, on Bill Clinton's last day in office as POTUS, he pardoned Roger and cleared his criminal record. Later, a congressional investigation by Republicans showed that Roger had given his brother a list of drug-trade mobsters to pardon, which Clinton wisely didn't grant. One mobster on the list was Rosario Gambino, whose family had gifted Roger a $50,000 Rolex in return for Roger's attempts to influence the POTUS to pardon Gambino, who was imprisoned for trafficking narcotics. Roger, who was also an aspiring movie actor and rock star, dirtied up his newly clean record only a month after his pardon, when he was arrested and charged with a DUI.
A Journalist
Job Description: White House reporters are there "to document history in real time." The White House Correspondents' Assoc. formed in 1914 in response to (ultimately unfounded) rumors that President Woodrow Wilson was going to stop holding press conferences after some of his off-the-record statements about an ongoing diplomacy crisis were published in the press. White House press corps are journalists whose main focus is covering the White House and the presidency for different news media. They attend daily press briefings and receive information released by the White House press secretary. The position of White House correspondent is extremely coveted, especially within a high-profile news outlet. It has also historically been an effective launching pad to journalism stardom. It isn't surprising that Chris deals with cutthroat colleagues and the threat of demotion after daring to have kids (as a woman - it never seems to affect men's careers) and breast milk stains on her clothes. WH reporters are there to hold elected officials accountable for their choices and behavior, so Chris is the last person the White House wants around when POTUS calls his wife "cunty" or if someone else had thrown a marble suffragette at the president's head.
What is it like to be a top White House correspondent?
"Hundreds of journalists cover the White House on a daily basis. It is our job to report on the president of the United States, to shine a light and hold the administration accountable. The questions we ask in the briefing room or in the Oval Office are on behalf of the American people."
- White House Correspondent's Association
The relationship between the White House and White House correspondents should be a symbiotic one. Every year, the WHCA holds the correspondent's dinner, where POTUS and other political figures are invited to come together to hand out awards and (often) good-naturedly roast each other, in the process raising funds for WHCA scholarships.
Some women who have worked the White House beat:
Cecilia Vega
60 Minutes
2017-Current
Katie Rogers
The New York Times
2018-Current
Yamiche Alcindor
PBS NewsHour
2018-2022
Kaitlan Collins
CNN
2021-2022
Kristen Welker
NBC
2011-Current
Jacqui Heinrich
Fox News
2021-Current
,
His Wife. The First Lady
Job Description: TECHNICALLY, there is no job description for the First Lady, because FLOTUS is not a job. The role and responsibility of POTUS are outlined in the U.S. Constitution, but the job of the First Lady is not. Regardless, the First Lady is expected to take an active role in her husband's presidency of her own volition - with little recognition and no paycheck. She is, "A director of social affairs, presidential liaison, symbol of strength, policy advocate, political reformer, keeper of 'the People's House,' partner, and confidant. The First Ladies of the United States have taken on numerous roles throughout history." Notably, POTUS's wife is last on the list of emotional proximity to her own husband, suggesting that their marriage is, at least currently, primarily a political arrangement.
Traditionally, the first FLOTUSes were tasked with being domestic hostesses in the White House, but over time, they have taken on a more cause-oriented role.
"Two prominent first ladies, Dolley Madison and Eleanor Roosevelt, are credited with strengthening the role."
Sources: The Street,
White House History,
Montpelier
Dolley Madison (1768-1849), wife of James Madison and FLOTUS from 1809-1817, was known for her social gatherings and her sense of hospitality. Her social gatherings, both before and after she became FLOTUS, were instrumental in shaping society, fashion, and social etiquette in newly-developing Washington D.C. and therefore, the country. Her social status gave her political influence, which she used to help Madison in his political objectives. Her gatherings brought political opponents together, setting a precedent of bipartisan cooperation. She also designed much of the White House interior, and she is credited with saving a famous portrait of George Washington before the British burned the White House in the War of 1812. It should be noted that the Madisons owned slaves.
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) was married to Franklin Roosevelt and was FLOTUS from 1933-1945. She took on the usual domestic hostessing duties, but she also took a more political role in her husband's presidency. She held more than 300 press conferences for women reporters, traveled all over the U.S., gave lectures and interviews, and she wrote a newspaper column. During the Great Depression, she visited sites where Roosevelt's New Deal policies were providing relief. She was the first FLOTUS to visit an active war zone during WWII, spending a month in the Pacific. She also traveled the world to visit troops and hospitals with the Red Cross. After FDR died, she became a delegate for the United Nations, chairing the Human Rights Commission that wrote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
Sources: The Street,
White House, White House History
Causes and Accomplishments of Recent FLOTUSes:
Source:
White House
Dr. Jill Biden
POTUS: Joe Biden
Term: 2021-Current
Doctorate, Education
Causes: Education, reopening schools post-pandemic, military family support, affordable college
Source: Trump WH Archives
Melania Trump
POTUS: Donald Trump
Model, Naturalized Citizen
Term: 2017-2021
Causes: "Be Best" initiative addressed bullying and the opioid epidemic.
Michelle Obama
POTUS: Barack Obama
Term: 2009-2017
Lawyer, Writer
Causes: Healthy families (Let's Move!), support for military families (Joining Forces), higher education (Reach HIgher), global education for girls (Let Girls Learn)
Source:
White House
Laura Bush
POTUS: George W. Bush
Term: 2001-2009
Teacher, Librarian
Causes: Education (NCLB), UN literacy programs, women's rights in Afghanistan, human rights in Burma, global health initiatives, women's health
Source:
White House
Some First Lady Scandals:
Source: The Guardian
"Fuck Christmas"
Melania Trump, 2020
In a taped phone conversation with a (now former) friend, Melania complains about media criticism and that she is expected to decorate for Christmas. Some notable quotes:
"I'm working [...] my ass off on the Christmas stuff, [...] who gives a fuck about Christmas?"
"They said, 'Oh, what about the children that were separated?' Give me a fucking break."
"[Migrant children detained at the border] could easily stay in Mexico, but they don't want to stay in Mexico because Mexico doesn't take care of them the same as America does."
Plagiarizing Michelle
Melania Trump, 2020
At the 2020 Republican National Convention, Melania Trump delivered a speech that some listeners found oddly familiar. Several sentences seemed to be plagiarized from a speech given by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
In response, a Trump campaign speechwriter, Meredith McIver, claimed that while working with FLOTUS on the speech, Melania named some people who inspired her, and Michelle Obama was on that list.
The Trump campaign maintained that there was no plagiarism.
Source: The New Yorker
Source: BBC
"I Don't Really Care, Do You?"
Melania Trump, 2018
When visiting migrant children who were imprisoned in a detention center at the border, Melania came under fire for wearing a jacket with the words: "I Don't Really Care, Do You?" printed on the back.
The 55 children who were detained in the Texas shelter due to Trump's "zero-tolerance policy" on undocumented immigration, and many of the children were alone, having been separated from their families.
Melania claims that she only wore the jacket on the trip there and back, removing it before entering the shelter. She also claims that the message was targeted at the left-wing media and their criticism of her.
Sleevegate
Michelle Obama, 2009
After posing for her first official White House photo in a sleeveless shirt, critics attacked her for dressing so informally, especially in the winter. According to the style reporter for the Chicago Tribune, "The occasion was business, and a sleeveless dress was the wrong style at the wrong time."
One congressional aide complained that Michelle's choice to go sleeveless was probably going to result in an inflated heating bill at the White House.
Throughout her tenure as FLOTUS, Michelle continued to wear sleeveless shirts frequently. As a plus, the "scandal" sparked some clever jokes about "the right to bare arms."
Source: The Guardian
Source: Business Insider
"Laura Bush Killed a Guy"
Laura Bush, 2000
Technically, this happened when Laura Bush was in high school, in 1963, but the incident became public knowledge in 2000, while she was on the campaign trail with her husband, George W. Bush.
Throughout Bush's eight-year presidency, the press was forbidden to ask about the incident. However, in 2010, Laura wrote in her memoir, Spoken from the Heart, about the event. While distracted and talking to a friend, she accidentally ran a stop sign and crashed into another car, killing its driver, a fellow student and star athlete.
In 2008, the show Family Guy brought the incident back into the spotlight with a non-sequitur joke, repeating, "Laura Bush killed a guy."
"Super-Predators"
Hillary Rodham Clinton, 1996
There are several scandals associated with Hillary Clinton that arose during her post-FLOTUS political career and eventual run for president, and some of those scandals came about by revisiting incidents that occurred while she was in the White House as the First Lady.
Technically, Clinton's use of the word "super-predators" to describe the predominantly Black incarcerated population didn't become scandalous until an activist publicly challenged Clinton at a campaign event in South Carolina before the presidential primaries.
Source: Washington Post
Source: Newsweek
Black Prison Labor
Hillary Rodham Clinton, 1996
In another scandal that didn't fully reverberate until Clinton's 2016 presidential run, activist Jeanette Jing posted pages from Clinton's 1996 book, It Takes a Village, in which she fondly remembers using cheap Black prison labor to work in the Governor's mansion, which was apparently a long tradition in Arkansas to keep costs low.
In the book, Hillary says that she developed friendships with some of these prisoners, who she describes as mostly Black men incarcerated for murder. She explains that those who broke rules were immediately returned to prison, asserting that these men didn't have "inferior IQs or an inability to apply moral reasoning." Rather, she believes that they might be "emotional illiterates."
Defending Bill
Hillary Rodham Clinton, 1998
The other major source of scandal for FLOTUS-era Hillary Clinton was the cast-off guilt that she received for defending her husband during his scandals. Perhaps the most memorable scandal was the one that led to impeachment hearings. Amid accusations against Bill for sexual harassment and perjury for denying under oath that he had a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky, Hillary Clinton stood by her lecherous, predatory man.
She claimed that the POTUS was "an extremely generous person," and that giving gifts to young interns wasn't sexual or romantic. Hillary called the allegations against her husband a right-wing conspiracy.
Source: Washington Post
Finally, while we're on the subject of presidential gossip and infidelity, here's a chart posted by Reddit user tycooperaow in a subreddit (r/Presidents) where members have an affinity for making tiered charts that rank and group U.S. Presidents based on everything from attractiveness to how much they appeal to a socialist and which Doctor Who doctor they would probably like.
Warning: This basically has no basis in fact or research.
One Reddit User's List of Which Presidents Probably Did or Didn't Cheat on Their Wives
What do you think?
Source: Reddit
bottom of page