Hunter Biden is the latest child of a U.S. President to find himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons—but he’s certainly not the first.
Biden, the son of Joe Biden and a frequent lightning rod of criticism from the President’s political foes, has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges for failing to pay his 2017 and 2018 taxes on time.
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The agreement with the U.S. Justice Department—which is still pending approval from a federal judge—comes with probation rather than prison time, and Biden will avoid charges in connection with his purchase of a handgun in 2018.
Following the controversies involving Presidential children is an American pastime almost as old as the Presidency itself. Here are a few examples of Presidential sons and daughters who provided at least some embarrassment to their famous fathers in the White House.
John Payne Todd
Stepson of James Madison
Sepia Times//Getty ImagesA painting of John Payne Todd, made by Joseph Wood (1778-1830).
Founding Father James Madison married the widow Dolley Payne in 1794, seven years before he was elected the fourth President of the United States. He became a stepfather to Dolly’s two-year-old son John Payne Todd, who grew up to become something of an embarrassment during Madison’s presidency.
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An alcoholic and gambling addict, Todd was repeatedly jailed for assaults and disturbing the peace, and failed at each job his parents tried to secure for him. He spent so recklessly that his mother sold the family’s Montpelier plantation to cover some of his debts, and the Madison family struggled with financial difficulties in their retirement years.
John Adams II
Son of John Quincy Adams
Heritage Images//Getty ImagesA portrait of John Adams II, son of President John Quincy Adams.
The Adams family had its share of black sheep; Charles Adams, one of the sons of second President John Adams, had been disowned by his father for his alcoholism and questionable financial decisions. Years later, John Adams II, the eldest son of John Quincy Adams, provided several public embarrassments for his father.
After getting expelled from Harvard for his involvement in protests, Adams II worked as his father’s private secretary, during which time he received negative press attention for alleged cowardice during a fist fight in the Capitol rotunda. He also controversially married a cousin who had been romantically sought after by two of his brothers, neither of whom attended the wedding.
John Van Buren
Son of Martin Van Buren
Heritage Images//Getty ImagesA portrait of John Van Buren, taken some time between 1855 and 1865.
The son of the eighth President, John Van Buren went on to become a prominent politician in his own right, serving as Attorney General of New York from 1845 to 1847. But before that, he had a party animal reputation that occasionally brought him negative media coverage.
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Van Buren earned the nickname “Prince John” after dancing with Queen Victoria during her 1838 coronation. A notorious alcoholic, Van Buren passed out drunk and had to be carried away from horse races on several occasions, and was such a heavy gambler that he was said to have lost a mistress during a card game.
Alice Roosevelt
Daughter of Theodore Roosevelt
Fotosearch//Getty ImagesA portrait of Alice Roosevelt from around the 1900s.
Although her actions might seem harmless by today’s standards, Alice Roosevelt was such an unconventional woman during her day that she repeatedly made headlines and caused headaches for his father Theodore, who once famously said, “I can either run the country or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both.”
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Alice smoked and swore in public, which was practically unheard of among female socialites at the time. She also attended and placed bets at horse races, and took her pet snake to parties. Before William Howard Taft became President, Alice buried a voodoo doll of Taft’s wife Nellie in the White House front yard, earning herself a ban from the nation’s capital.
Jimmy Roosevelt
Son of Theodore Roosevelt
University of Southern California//Getty ImagesJimmy Roosevelt speaking at a political event in 1954.
Though he never faced criminal charges, the eldest son of Franklin D. Roosevelt was accused of more serious transgressions than most problematic presidential children before him. After his father became President, allegations arose in the press that Jimmy inappropriately used his family connections to make millions in the insurance business.
The bad press proved so stressful that it exacerbated Jimmy’s stomach ulcers and forced an early departure from a White House counselor position. Much later, in the 1980s, he drew controversy once again when a non-profit organization he formed was investigated for questionable money-raising practices and mail fraud.
Neil Bush
Son of George H.W. Bush
Jamie McCarthy//Getty ImagesNeil Bush speaking at the George H.W. Bush Points Of Light Awards Gala at Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum on September 26, 2019 in New York City.
George W. Bush had a well-documented “party animal” period before becoming President, which included crazy parties, possible drug use, and allegations of skipping out on his National Guard service. But George’s brother, Neil Bush—the fourth son of President George H.W. Bush—had an even more serious scandal.
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He was accused of violating conflict of interest regulations by serving on the board of directors for the Denver-based Silverado Banking Savings and Loan Association, which engaged in questionable lending practices and went bankrupt in 1988, leaving U.S. taxpayers responsible for $1.3 billion in debts. A civil action was brought against Bush and other Silverado directors, which was settled out of court for $49.5 million.
Patti Davis
Daughter of Ronald Reagan
Bob Riha Jr//Getty ImagesPatti Davis pictured in January 1986 in Los Angeles, California.
The outspoken and left-wing Patti Davis had clashed with her family’s conservative politics long before her father occupied the White House. She was disowned by her mother, Nancy Reagan, in the 1970s for living with her boyfriend—Eagles guitarist Bernie Leadon—before marriage.
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After Ronald Reagan became President in 1981, Davis spoke out regularly against her father’s politics, participated in several high-profile protests, and published a tell-all autobiography filled with secrets about the Reagan family. She also generated headlines for posing nude in Playboy magazine in 1994, at age 58.
Donald Trump Jr.
Son of Donald Trump
Alex Wong//Getty ImagesDonald Trump Jr. speaking at a political rally on January 4, 2021, in Dalton, Georgia.
The eldest child of Donald Trump, Trump Jr. has generated more than his fair share of controversies. Perhaps most notably, he was accused of cooperating with Russia in their attempts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election, meeting with a Russian lawyer who offered to provide damaging information about Trump’s political opponent, Hillary Clinton.
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After Trump’s loss in 2020, Trump Jr. helped advance unfounded conspiracy theories about a stolen election, calling for “total war” over the election results. He also courted controversy even before Trump’s presidency, participating in an African hunting trip that led to sponsors dropping out of his father’s reality show, The Celebrity Apprentice.
Colin McEvoy joined the Biography.com staff in 2023, and before that had spent 16 years as a journalist, writer, and communications professional. He is the author of two true crime books: Love Me or Else and Fatal Jealousy. He is also an avid film buff, reader, and lover of great stories.
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