4 Legendary Stories of U.S. Presidents Smoking Cigars

Let’s face it: the United States of America was raised on tobacco. It became the cash crop of the 1400’s and is now a deep-rooted part of our culture and society. We love cigars. Our forefathers loved cigars. And our grandkids will love cigars. So it’s no surprise that our nation’s great leaders have a special place in their heart for cigars too. Which presidents are the biggest cigar smoking aficionados? My guess would be all of them. But today, I’ll only focus on a few of them. I present 4 Legendary Stories of U.S. Presidents Smoking Cigars.

1. Kennedy and the Cuban Cigar Crisis

Who’s the first cigar-smoking president that comes to mind? John F. Kennedy. Why? Well for one, we can’t seem to find a photo of him without a cigar in his hand! And two, he crosses our mind every day when we dream about smoking an authentic Cuban! You see, Kennedy ruled in a time of extreme tension between superpowers. When Castro sided with the Soviet Union and began producing missiles, Kennedy cut him off – he passed the United States embargo against Cuba – forever banning us from purchasing another Cuban cigar (legally). As legend has it: JFK, being the cigar aficionado that he was, ordered his secretary to purchase 1200 Cuban cigars only 6 weeks before passing the embargo. Can you blame the guy? Any one of us would have done the same thing!

2. Billy the Kid

Bill Clinton, on the other hand, has a very different reputation when it comes to cigars. We all know Billy loves to enjoy a nice cigar, but he also loves to watch others enjoy a nice cigar – if you know what I mean! According to the legend, when Billy was placed on trial in the 90’s for having a controversial affair with his intern, Monica Lewinsky, a story was revealed to the jury about a special VIP herf he had exclusively with her. Apparently, Bill watched Monica enjoy a cigar in a way that not many of us are used to. Yes, she masturbated with it. In her defense, a cigar is similarly shaped to – other things – which can be very confusing for some. Oh Billy, you dirty dog!

3. Teddy, the Puff Rider

Theodore Roosevelt – quite possibly the manliest president in America’s history – was a fan of hunting, whiskey, bacon, and needless to say, cigars! As a leader of the Rough Riders, Teddy pushed hard for America’s involvement in Cuban independence, probably because he appreciated the delicious Cuban cigars that he enjoyed almost daily. But his legendary cigar story stems from something much earlier. As tough as Teddy was, he suffered from Asthma since birth. In order to ease his Asthma attacks, young Theodore began smoking cigars at the age of eight! This may very well be the reason he turned into an American badass as an adult! As no physician has ever said but we’d love to believe: “A cigar a day keeps the doctor away!”

4. Grant, the Gigante General

General Ulysses Grant was probably the most prolific cigar smoking president in our nation’s history – with good reason too. Being a career soldier and military general, times during the Civil War can be stressful! With more than 17 battle victories over a period of 11 years, President Grant had more than enough excusable reasons to celebrate and relax with a nice cigar. Legend has it that he smoked up to 12 (some say 20) cigars a day! Personally, that’s a bit too much for me, but I’m just a writer, not a freaking general. Unfortunately, his years of smoking at every waking hour eventually caught up to him; he died of oral cancer.

So there you have it – four legendary stories of United States Presidents smoking cigars. With President’s Day just around the corner, there’s no better way to enjoy your day off and show your appreciation to our finest leaders than with a relaxing smoke. But which cigars do you choose? An authentic Cuban like Kennedy would have preferred? A Churchill in the likes of Billy’s preferred puff? How about a Presidential stick from yours truly? Share this line of smokes with your comrades while you share the stories you’ve read here today.