Presidential Scandals, Coverage of

From the partisan press to the digital age, press coverage of presidential scandals has been constant watchdog of White House misconduct and corruption as a mainstay of American journalism. While the sensational elements and public desire for such coverage often distract from factual reporting of administration policies and accomplishments, the resulting historical record impacts a president’s legacy. Presidential scandals involve personal misconduct or political corruption by a president or associates that attract media coverage and influence public opinion. This entry examines famous presidential scandals from the early 19th-century scandals that plagued Andrew Jackson to the multiple scandals that dominated the presidency of Donald Trump.