Every U.S. president with a beard has been a Republican.
The Bearded Presidents Were All Republicans
In the long history of American presidents, exactly five commanders-in-chief have sported full beards while in office. Every single one of them was a Republican.
Abraham Lincoln started the trend in 1861, famously growing his iconic beard after an 11-year-old girl named Grace Bedell wrote to him suggesting it would improve his appearance. He took her advice and became the first bearded president.
The Bearded Five
- Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) — The first bearded president, who grew his famous beard during his presidential campaign
- Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877) — Civil War hero who kept his beard throughout his two terms
- Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881) — Known for his impressive, flowing beard that reached his chest
- James A. Garfield (1881) — Served only 200 days before his assassination
- Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) — The last president to wear a full beard
This wasn't coincidence. The Republican Party dominated the post-Civil War era, holding the presidency for all but eight years between 1861 and 1913. Beards were also at peak popularity during this exact period in American fashion.
Why the Beard Drought?
After Benjamin Harrison left office in 1893, no president has worn a full beard. The closest we've come was William Howard Taft's walrus mustache.
Historians point to several factors for the disappearance of presidential facial hair. The rise of safety razors made clean-shaven faces easier to maintain. World War I gas masks required soldiers to be clean-shaven for a proper seal, shifting cultural attitudes. And perhaps most importantly, the advent of television made a clean-shaven look feel more polished and trustworthy to voters.
A Political Coincidence
The bearded presidency phenomenon says more about timing than party ideology. Republicans simply controlled the White House during America's "beard era" of the late 19th century. Had Democrats won more elections between 1860 and 1900, we'd likely have seen bearded Democratic presidents too.
Still, it remains a quirky piece of presidential trivia. If a future president ever decides to buck the 130-year trend and grow a beard, they'd be the first Democrat to ever hold the office with facial hair—assuming they're not Republican.
For now, the beard remains exclusively in GOP territory, a curious footnote connecting Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, and Harrison across the decades.