Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and George W. Bush are just a sampling of politicians who are famous for their rowdy behavior.
Finland’s Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, has recently come under attack after images and videos of a rowdy party at her official residence were leaked to the internet. One photo depicted two topless women (neither of whom were Marin), while a video revealed Marin dancing in a carefree, celebratory fashion. Marin has since apologized profusely for the event, and has even gone so far as to take a drug test to prove she hadn’t ingested any illegal substances at the party (her test came back negative). But now, some are pointing out that this apparent outrage at Marin’s behavior is more than a little sexist.
Male politicians have been hosting parties while in office for decades — and some have reportedly engaged in (and often gotten away with) some less-than-above-board behavior during their time in office.
Marin is 36 years old, the world’s youngest prime minister, and had a private party with friends, all of whom were cleared with security before they arrived. It’s not exactly inappropriate behavior for a grown woman — and when you set it against the choices made by more than one recent American president, Marin’s carefree dancing pales in comparison.
For that reason, we thought it might be illustrative to revisit some of the political party boys in recent history, highlighting their most, shall we say, colorful moments — before or during their time in office.
Boris Johnson, 10 Downing Street, and “Partygate”
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson showed a love for partying during his political tenure, even during the early years of the pandemic.
In fact, Johnson allegedly hosted so many parties at his official residence, 10 Downing Street, during the early lockdown years of the pandemic that British media dubbed the scandal “partygate.” These parties included a birthday party for Johnson, a pub party (in which Johnson personally administered a trivia contest), and a garden party — all of which apparently took place during a lockdown.
At one point, photos of Johnson partying at 10 Downing Street in November 2020 began to circulate. In response to the photos (in which Johnson is visibly holding up a drink as a part of a cheers with other people), Johnson claimed complete ignorance. “I am sure that whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times,” Johnson said.
Donald Trump’s mix of business and pleasure at the “Winter White House”
Former president Donald Trump’s history of partying has, by now, become a focal point of his political and professional career. Even before he declared political aspirations in the 2016 presidential election, Trump was a famous playboy and entrepreneur, and was a fixture on the New York social scene.
Once Trump became president, though, his social gallivanting took on a whole new shine — and nearly all of that socializing took place at Trump’s quaint little Florida residence: Mar-a-Lago.
Trump spent so much time at his sprawling, members-only Palm Beach club during his presidency that the media dubbed the residence the “Winter White House.” Notably, Trump’s time at Mar-a-Lago frequently blurred the lines between business and pleasure. In 2017, for example, Trump used the Florida property as a makeshift situation room. On another occasion, he hosted Chinese president Xi Jinping in an official capacity in 2019.
Oh — and need we remind you that Trump’s party hotspot is now the subject of an FBI raid and ongoing investigation?
John F. Kennedy’s many, many White House girlfriends
Plenty of presidents have been described as being a “ladies’ man,” but none can compete for that title more than former President John F. Kennedy.
During his time in the Oval Office, Kennedy conducted numerous affairs with a wide range of women, all of which have been substantiated by multiple eyewitnesses. For example, a 19-year-old White House intern named Mimi Alford met Kennedy in the White House pool on her first day, where he subsequently invited her for drinks. In her later memoir, she claimed to have lost her virginity to him that very evening.
Of course, the most famous of Kennedy’s affairs was with Marilyn Monroe. The pair allegedly met at a party in New York City, where the president started a conversation with the actress by saying, “Finally! You’re here.” The two then went on to spend a weekend together at Bing Crosby’s house in Palm Springs, all while the first lady, Jackie Kennedy, went about her business at the White House.
Long after Kennedy and Monroe’s affair ended, the significance of their Palm Springs tryst continues to mystify the public. Part of the public interest surely has to do with the A-list names involved, but there might also be some general wonder that the president of the United States might be able to disappear for a full weekend, to begin with. It’s hard to imagine that happening now — though more recent presidents have proven there’s still plenty of room for some rowdy behavior as a politician.
George W. Bush’s illustrious fraternity days
When it comes to partying, few politicians can even hold a candle to the man, the myth, the legend: President George W. Bush. Long before he embarked on his own political career, Bush was famous for being the son of former president and GOP favorite George H.W. Bush — but that spotlight didn’t stop Bush from partying hard during his time in college.
The Texas native famously joined a number of elite organizations at Yale University. From Skull and Bones, one of the most famous secret societies in the world, to DKE, a fraternity famous for drinking and partying, Bush was a fixture on the New Haven social scene. In fact, Bush’s time at school was so focused on extra-curricular events that he blocked Yale from publicly releasing his academic transcript.
During his political career, Bush made an effort to wrap up his reputation for partying in the bow of childhood mistakes. He is famous for saying, “When I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible.” He also said more recently (and much more colorfully) to historical author Mark Updegrove, “[I] chased a lot of pussy and drank a lot of whiskey.”
Seems about right.
