When Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th President of the United States in January 2017, he will become the first President in history to have been divorced multiple times. Melania, his current spouse, is his third marriage. This is a big change for the Presidential role, where past marriages have been remarkably stable throughout our national history.

To date, we have only had one divorcee president: Ronald Reagan. Very few people actually remember this fact about our 40th President, but he actually divorced his first wife early in his life. His second marriage to Nancy Reagan was so iconic and solid that it had very little effect on voter opinion.

Political Power of a Stable Marriage

Political scientists have long known the power that the appearance of a stable and functional marriage can have on a politician’s career. It is for this reason that we see marriages in politics continue to hold themselves together even in the face of a publically-exposed affair.

Franklin D. Roosevelt is one example of a President who was discovered having an affair, but he and his wife agreed to keep their marriage together for the sake of their political careers.

The same can be said for a more recent example: the Clinton family. Our 42nd President, Bill Clinton, underwent an investigation and was almost forced to resign after he was found guilty of sexual acts inside the oval office with a White House intern. His wife, Hillary, stayed quiet and stood by her husband throughout the scandal and she very nearly became the first female President herself after a long political career.

Some Presidents also lost their wives during their terms in office. John Tyler and Woodrow Wilson both became widowers, and both remarried while in the Oval Office.

Related: Contested vs. Uncontested Divorce

To this day we have still only had one President who never married. James Buchannan held onto his “bachelor” title for his entire life. However, recent historical scholars have suggested that there may have been an alternative motivation for this: James Buchanan may have been gay. Considering that this would have been socially tumultuous in the mid-1800’s Buchannan would have had great motivation to keep this quiet.

At Fair Cadora, APC, our team of experienced San Diego divorce attorneys may be able to provide you with quality representation during your divorce proceedings. Attorney Lauren Fair has been named a Board Certified Family Law Specialist by the California Board of Legal Specialization, allowing her to provide her team and your case with a deep and detailed knowledge that few other attorneys can match. We get to know our clients personally and place their needs first in every case we take, allowing us to fight for the best possible outcome on their behalf.

Please contact our firm today to schedule a consultation to discuss your options. We even offer easy online payment options.