logo

5 Major Presidential Gaffes in Modern U.S. History

image
Created: 24 October, 2016
Updated: 17 October, 2022
3 min read

In last week’s final presidential debate, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton described the Iraqi city of Mosul as "on the border of Syria." However, Mosul is 100 miles east of Syria and 75 miles from the nearest border crossing. Moderator Chris Wallace let the line pass without comment or a request for clarification.

Libertarian Gary Johnson called the incident "a very hypocritical double standard." Extensive media coverage followed Johnson when he flubbed a Syria question. Clinton’s remark elicited little media response.

Candidates often make clear mistakes about geography, conditions around the world, and even their own policy positions. Some receive media scrutiny while others quickly faded into history. Following are five gaffes from presidential campaigns.

1. John McCain on Iran training al Qaeda for Iraq

As the GOP nominee in 2008, Arizona U.S. Sen. John McCain’s foreign policy expertise was a key strength. Speaking overseas, McCain said:

"It’s common knowledge and has been reported in the media that Al Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran. That’s well known. And it’s unfortunate."

Sen. Joe Lieberman immediately corrected McCain, saying it was "extremists" and not al Qaeda, which had no established ties to Iran.

2. Joe Biden, Roosevelt, Television, and the Great Depression

At the beginning of the 2008 financial crisis, Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden spoke about presidential leadership. Biden, who has a controversial history of statements, greatly confused presidents and historical innovations:

"When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on television, and didn’t just talk about the princes of greed."

Herbert Hoover was president when the stock market crashed in 1929. Although he made prolific use of radio, Roosevelt did not appear on television until the 1939 World’s Fair. An estimated 1,000 people watching on 200 television sets in the New York area viewed that address.

3. Gerald Ford and Soviet Domination of Eastern Europe

In a 1976 debate, President Gerald Ford spoke about the recent Helsinki Accords. Ford denied the West made any concessions to the Soviet Union. The president asserted:

"There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration."

Ford’s national security adviser, Brent Scowcroft, admitted the Soviets housed at least four divisions in Poland.

IVP Existence Banner

4.  John Kerry and Iraq

During his 2004 presidential bid, then-Sen. John Kerry acquired the epitaph of a flip-flopper over his tendency to change positions. Kerry favored the war resolution. He said prior to the 2003 military action, "[T]he only exit strategy is victory. This is our common mission and the world's cause."

Running for president, Kerry implied that he opposed the war, only voting to "threaten" the use of force against Iraq. Kerry’s inability to take a clear position on the Iraq war consistently hampered his supporters.

As recently as 2013, Kerry averred that he opposed the Iraq war.

5. Mitt Romney and "Iran’s route to the sea"

The 2012 GOP nominee frequently made mistakes when trying to attack President Obama’s foreign policy. In a debate, Romney labeled Iran’s ally Syria as their "route to the sea." However, Iran is not a landlocked country and has more than 1,500 miles of coastline.

What gaffes would you add to the list?

Photo Credit: Jim Cole / AP Photo

Latest articles

votes
Wyoming Purges Nearly 30% of Its Voters from Registration Rolls
It is not uncommon for a state to clean out its voter rolls every couple of years -- especially to r...
27 March, 2024
-
1 min read
ballot box
The Next Big Win in Better Election Reform Could Come Where Voters Least Expect
Idaho isn't a state that gets much attention when people talk about politics in the US. However, this could change in 2024 if Idahoans for Open Primaries and their allies are successful with their proposed initiative....
21 March, 2024
-
3 min read
Courts
Why Do We Accept Partisanship in Judicial Elections?
The AP headline reads, "Ohio primary: Open seat on state supreme court could flip partisan control." This immediately should raise a red flag for voters, and not because of who may benefit but over a question too often ignored....
19 March, 2024
-
9 min read
Nick Troiano
Virtual Discussion: The Primary Solution with Unite America's Nick Troiano
In the latest virtual discussion from Open Primaries, the group's president, John Opdycke, sat down ...
19 March, 2024
-
1 min read
Sinema
Sinema's Exit Could Be Bad News for Democrats -- Here's Why
To many, the 2024 presidential primary has been like the movie Titanic - overly long and ending in a disaster we all saw coming from the start. After months of campaigning and five televised primary debates, Americans are now faced with a rematch between two candidates polling shows a majority of them didn’t want....
19 March, 2024
-
7 min read