While I wait to hear more about the charges against Donald Trump on Tuesday, I offer you a step back in time.
If Trump’s entourage has broken records for indictments and convictions (11 counts!), there is one area where another president has done worse: buying his mistresses’ silence.
Back to normal
“Return to normalcy” was one of the slogans of William G. Harding’s 1920 presidential campaign competition down.
Congress Photo Library
The 29th President is considered by many historians to be one of the worst Presidents in history. His name is often only remembered for two scandals, one involving one of his secretaries and the other involving his own extramarital affairs.
In the first case, his Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall, was found guilty (one year in prison) of accepting nearly $400,000 in “gifts” in exchange for rights to exploit the Teapot Dome oil field in Wyoming. Before Watergate and the Trump presidency, it was the biggest political scandal.
Illustration Library of Congress
Scandal cartoon by Clifford Berryman, 1924
Loving and ruthless
Unlike Donald Trump, William Harding paid twice to buy his mistresses’ silence.
In full political ascent, the future president began a romantic relationship with the wife of his neighbor and friend. We know the relationship between the two lovers well since the disclosure of the correspondence between Carrie Fulton Phillips and William G. Harding in 2014.
Reading Harding’s writings, one can easily glimpse his all-consuming passion. In this he recognizes his jealousy, indulges in outbursts of poetry, but also a touch of eroticism. A lot of fans of crisp details were amused that he had a nickname for his male member: Jerry.
In addition to this romantic relationship, which he revealed to his party leaders upon taking office, Harding was also troubled by his lover’s ties to Germany. We even feared that she might be a spy.
The other adventure that Harding has to delve into his portfolio for involved a young woman, Nan Britton, who wanted her lover to support her in her job search after she graduated from high school.
A child was born from this new romantic relationship. It was Nan Britton’s sister who offered to adopt him, but President Harding had to make a financial contribution. He did so ($300 a month) until his sudden death in 1923.
Angered that the President’s estate refused to honor the deal, Nan Britton published her story in a book called The President’s Daughter.
If you are interested in the history of the 29th President’s love affairs, I also recommend this article published in the Washington Post on Sunday.
