By Eric Mesi
It’s a well-documented historical fact that every U.S. president, from George Washington to the current officeholder, has lied to the American public at some point during their tenure. This isn’t a partisan observation—it’s supported by extensive analyses from historians, political scientists, and media outlets, which emphasize that deception is inherent to politics, diplomacy, and leadership. Presidents lie for various reasons: to protect national security, advance policy goals, cover up personal scandals, or mislead adversaries. While some lies are minor or justifiable in context (e.g., wartime deceptions), others have had profound negative consequences, such as escalating wars or eroding public trust. A comprehensive study of presidential statements confirms that all 46 presidents (as of 2025) have knowingly made false public claims.
To illustrate, here are notable examples of lies by U.S. presidents, drawn from historical records. This isn’t an exhaustive list of every falsehood—just key instances where deception was directed at citizens and later exposed or acknowledged. I’ve grouped them chronologically for clarity:
– George Washington (1789–1797): Despite the apocryphal cherry tree story portraying him as incapable of lying, Washington deceived the public about his military intentions during the Revolutionary War. For instance, he publicly advocated for an attack on New York City while secretly planning to march on Yorktown, misleading both enemies and potentially his own citizens to maintain strategic surprise.
– James Polk (1845–1849): Polk falsely claimed that Mexico had invaded U.S. territory and “shed American blood upon American soil” to justify the Mexican-American War. In reality, he had ordered U.S. troops into disputed territory near the Texas border, provoking the conflict to expand U.S. land holdings.
– Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865): Lincoln publicly downplayed the scale of the Civil War’s early stages and misled about his intentions regarding slavery to maintain Northern support. For example, he assured border states that the war was solely about preserving the Union, while privately planning emancipation measures.
– William McKinley (1897–1901): McKinley falsely accused Spain of blowing up the USS Maine in Havana Harbor (with no evidence) to rally public support for the Spanish-American War, which expanded U.S. imperialism.
– Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945): FDR lied about U.S. neutrality in World War II, secretly aiding Britain and misleading the public about incidents like the Greer destroyer attack to build support for entering the war. He also concealed the severity of his polio from citizens to project strength.
– Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961): Eisenhower denied U.S. involvement in spy plane missions over the Soviet Union, claiming a downed U-2 plane was for weather research. When the Soviets produced the captured pilot, he admitted the lie, calling it his biggest regret.
– John F. Kennedy (1961–1963): JFK lied about his health, denying chronic conditions like Addison’s disease during his campaign. He also misled about the Bay of Pigs invasion, downplaying U.S. involvement in the failed Cuban operation.
– Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969): LBJ fabricated details of the Gulf of Tonkin incident (claiming unprovoked North Vietnamese attacks) to secure congressional approval for escalating the Vietnam War. He also hid the war’s true costs and scope from the public to maintain support.
– Richard Nixon (1969–1974): Nixon repeatedly denied knowledge of the Watergate break-in and cover-up, famously stating, “I am not a crook.” Tapes later proved he orchestrated the cover-up, leading to his resignation.
– Ronald Reagan (1981–1989): Reagan denied knowledge of the Iran-Contra affair, claiming no U.S. arms were traded for hostages or that funds were diverted to Nicaraguan rebels. Investigations revealed he approved the scheme.
– George H.W. Bush (1989–1993): Bush famously pledged “Read my lips: no new taxes” during his 1988 campaign but raised taxes in 1990 to address the deficit, admitting it was a broken promise.
– Bill Clinton (1993–2001): Clinton lied under oath about his affair with Monica Lewinsky, stating “I did not have sexual relations with that woman,” leading to his impeachment (though he was acquitted).
– George W. Bush (2001–2009): Bush falsely claimed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and ties to al-Qaeda to justify the 2003 invasion. Intelligence later showed these assertions were exaggerated or unfounded.
– Barack Obama (2009–2017): Obama repeatedly assured Americans “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it” under the Affordable Care Act, but millions lost plans that didn’t meet new standards.
– Donald Trump (2017–2021 and 2025–present): Trump’s presidency featured over 30,000 false or misleading claims, per fact-checkers, including exaggerating crowd sizes, denying knowledge of payments to Stormy Daniels, and falsely claiming the 2020 election was stolen.
– Joe Biden (2021–2025): Biden has made misleading claims, such as exaggerating his civil rights involvement or denying family business ties to foreign dealings. Critics also point to statements on inflation and border security that contradicted data.
For presidents not highlighted here (e.g., Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, etc.), historical records still show instances of deception, such as campaign promises broken or concealed policies, though less infamous. If you’d like details on a specific president or era, let me know.