10 Worst TV Presidents Of All Time

Fitzgerald Grant III in Scandal

Sure, Fitz and Olivia had enough chemistry to make fans dream about Vermont, but his presidential record is another story. Fitzgerald Grant uses B613 agents for dirty work, starts a war with West Angola to save Olivia, and benefits from the rigged Defiance election. Then things get even darker. When Supreme Court Justice Verna Thornton plans to reveal the truth about the election fraud, Fitz kills her by suffocating her in a hospital bed.

Homelander (Puppet president: Steven Calhoun) in The Boys

Technically, Homelander never gets sworn in as president, but does anyone really want to argue with him? By the final stretch of The Boys, he controls President Steven Calhoun and effectively takes over the country. His demands include abolishing Congress and forcing a breastfeeding mandate on new mothers. When Calhoun finally resists, Homelander simply kills him.

Thomas Christian in Too Close To Home

Remember this show? No? Fair enough. Too Close to Home lasted only two seasons, but President Thomas Christian still earned his place here. His biggest problem begins when he has an affair with a White House employee, setting off much of the show’s drama. He may not be the most evil president on this list, but his judgment is seriously questionable.

Matthew Ellis in Marvel Cinematic Universe

Matthew Ellis survives being kidnapped by Aldrich Killian and suspended above an oil tanker in an Iron Man suit, which should have raised serious questions about superhero oversight. Instead, Tony Stark continues operating with enormous freedom. That road eventually leads to Ultron, a deadly artificial intelligence responsible for massive destruction.

Charles Logan in 24

If betrayal were a presidential skill, Charles Logan would be unbeatable. The 24 villain helps cause the assassination of former President David Palmer and then uses his power to hide the truth. Sadly, his list of terrible choices does not stop there. He negotiates with terrorists, damages peace efforts, and repeatedly puts his own interests ahead of everyone else.

Frank Underwood in House Of Cards

Here’s a simple rule for choosing a president: maybe avoid anyone who pushes a journalist in front of a moving train. Frank Underwood fails that test spectacularly. The master manipulator becomes president after his predecessor resigns, then rigs the next election to stay in power. He fakes a terrorist threat, creates a false war on terror, and approves assassinations of reporters and politicians who become inconvenient.

Blanton Silver in Motherland Fort Salem

Imagine using your own daughter’s death to build political power. Blanton Silver does exactly that in Motherland: Fort Salem. After his daughter Penelope becomes infected with a deadly witchplague, he turns public anger against witches. Then comes the truly sickening reveal; he secretly worked with the enemy and knowingly allowed Penelope to be infected for political gain.

Hunter Franklin in The Oval

Five minutes into The Oval, and President Hunter Franklin is already fighting with the First Lady on inauguration night. That tells you almost everything. Hunter spends far more energy on drugs, sex workers, and personal chaos than actually running the country. One especially gruesome storyline involves secretly removing a bloody mattress after he beheads a woman in his bedroom.

Richard Martinez in Cory In The House

In Cory in the House, Richard Martinez's administration regularly falls into chaos because children treat the White House like their personal playground. The biggest disaster comes when Cory puts Alaska’s deed inside a jacket, which Martinez later gives to the Russian president. Whoops, there goes Alaska. His poor judgment also includes using presidential influence to ask Hannah Montana for favors.

Jeryd Mencken in Succession

No full presidential term is needed to make Jeryd Mencken terrifying. Succession introduces him as a power-hungry politician who gains support from the Roy family, especially Roman. Logan Roy’s ATN network has already helped push the sitting president aside, creating space for a more dangerous figure. Mencken uses nationalist and crypto-fascist ideas to attract an increasingly angry section of voters.