Non-traditional clothing, weird astrologers, and out of control spending. Melania Trump may have had a scandal or two during her time in the White House — but she wasn't the only First Lady to do so.
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00:00Non-traditional clothing, weird astrologers, and out-of-control spending.
00:05Melania Trump may have had a scandal or two during her time in the White House,
00:09but she wasn't the only First Lady to do so.
00:12In 2016, Melania Trump found herself in hot water when she was accused of plagiarizing
00:16a speech by Michelle Obama. Both she and Donald Trump's campaign repeatedly denied
00:21that elements of the speech were taken from Mrs. Obama's 2008 speech. They even went so
00:26far as to blame the Clinton campaign for bringing up false allegations.
00:31I wrote it with as little help as possible."
00:36Unfortunately, staff writer Meredith McIver did say those elements were plagiarized,
00:40writing in a statement,
00:42"'This was my mistake and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused Melania and the Trumps,
00:46as well as to Mrs. Obama. No harm was meant.'"
00:49Melania's reputation took a pretty big hit as a result. Since then,
00:53the former model has largely stayed away from making speeches on behalf of her husband.
00:58Hillary Clinton also faced criticism in 2004 when she posed for her White House portrait
01:02in a pantsuit instead of a dress. Some believed it was a break in tradition and a slight towards
01:08the office she held. However, the pantsuit ended up becoming a signature for Hillary,
01:12for better or worse, serving as a rallying cry for supporters and a meme to laugh at
01:16for those against her. Furthermore, when Hillary bucked tradition in her portrait,
01:20it opened the door for future first ladies to be more true to themselves. Her popularity didn't
01:25take a massive hit either, with her famous pantsuits becoming a banner for her eventual
01:29presidential campaign. However, Clinton wasn't the first first lady to stir up a scandal over
01:35pants. That honor goes to Betty Ford, who served as first lady from 1974 to 1977.
01:41Pants were a hot topic for first ladies in the 1970s. While many women had begun wearing
01:46pants in public, it was still considered controversial for a woman in office to wear
01:50them. So when a photo of Ford's last day in office showed her shoeless and wearing pants,
01:55it apparently rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. However, it didn't diminish Ford's popularity
02:00once she left office. She had been a major influence in women's rights during her time
02:04in politics, and used her platform as the first lady to push those agendas forward.
02:08Nancy Reagan was another first lady who found herself at the center of a scandal.
02:12As a firm believer in astrology, Nancy employed an astrologist named Joan Quigley,
02:18who guided many of the first lady's decisions. Nancy believed that it was the only way she could
02:23help keep her husband safe after a failed assassination attempt almost killed him in 1981.
02:29Quigley wrote in her memoir that she was in charge of the timing for every aspect of the presidency,
02:33from speeches to the travels of Air Force One. Essentially,
02:36the Reagans scheduled nothing without the approval of Quigley.
02:40I mean, Mrs. Reagan has been into astrologers from the very first she came to Hollywood."
02:45It was Donald Reagan, Reagan's chief of staff in his second term,
02:49who ultimately exposed the arrangement. He and Nancy feuded often,
02:53so after his resignation, he wrote about Quigley's involvement in his 1988 memoir,
02:58for the record, From Wall Street to Washington. The scandal sparked
03:02numerous headlines and labeled Nancy Reagan as an oddball for years to come.
03:06Finally, there's Mary Todd Lincoln, who was truly haunted by her scandalous behavior for
03:11her entire life. She was already disliked in government for her erratic behavior,
03:16possible bipolar disorder, and strong opinions, but her constant splurging is what left a lasting
03:22stain on her reputation. Lincoln often raised eyebrows with her spending habits,
03:26going over budget on her wardrobe, decorations, and other purchases.
03:30She had come for money and didn't care about what she spent. While living in the White House,
03:34she was also afforded credit, which would eventually come back to bite her after her
03:39husband's death. This was a bad time for Lincoln's lavish spending, as the country
03:43was struggling through the Civil War. She racked up debts that were the equivalent of over $500,000
03:49today. And despite getting a widow's pension from the government,
03:52her financial problems followed her until she died in 1882.