Two Party Opera just wouldn’t be the same without the Presidential Players – a unique little theatre troupe made up of the 44 men who commanded (with varying success) the bully pulpit. Each president is below, in their own little oval to match the office* of the leader of the free world. Hover over your favorite President to learn more about them, and if you click on the name, you can read the comics that they play a starring role in. Enjoy!

*Fun fact! The Oval Office did not come about until 1909, with President Taft. But that’s okay, we gave ovals to all of them!

NONPARTISAN
APRIL 30, 1789 – MARCH 4, 1797

More myth than man. Never chopped down a cherry tree, but he probably wouldn’t have lied about it if he did.

FEDERALIST
MARCH 4, 1797 – MARCH 4, 1801

Patriot. Rabble rouser. Spirited orator. Not George Washington.

DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1801 – MARCH 4, 1809

Obsessed with liberty, up to the point of applying it to his own lifestyle.

DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1809 – MARCH 4, 1817

Started the War of 1812. Then the British burned down the White House.

DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1817 – MARCH 4, 1825

The Monroe Doctrine: you stay on your side and we’ll stay on our side.

DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1825 – MARCH 4, 1829

Spoke nine languages and was just as antisocial in each one.

DEMOCRATIC
MARCH 4, 1829 – MARCH 4, 1837

His hatred towards Native Americans and his love for gold made the Trail of Tears a win-win.

DEMOCRATIC
MARCH 4, 1837 – MARCH 4, 1841

The first president officially born in the United States of America. Spoke Dutch.

WHIG
MARCH 4, 1841 – APRIL 4, 1841

Too stubborn to wear a coat to his inauguration. Tippecanoe!

WHIG/NONPARTISAN
APRIL 4, 1841 – MARCH 4, 1845

…And Tyler too! Completely opposed his own party. Only President to side with the Confederacy.

DEMOCRATIC
MARCH 4, 1845 – MARCH 4, 1849

For better or for worse, the only president to accomplish all of his campaign promises. “54 40 or fight!”

WHIG
MARCH 4, 1849 – JULY 9, 1850

Never wanted to become President, so the Universe granted his wish a year later.

WHIG
JULY 9, 1850 – MARCH 4, 1853

The last Whig to be President, finally doing away with the silly notion that Congress should hold any real power.

DEMOCRATIC
MARCH 4, 1853 – MARCH 4, 1857

After a train accident killed his son, he spent the entire term of his Presidency mourning instead of leading.

DEMOCRATIC
MARCH 4, 1857 – MARCH 4, 1861

Decided the best way to govern was to keep the peace by just simply letting things spiral out of control.

REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1861 – APRIL 15, 1865

Kept the Union together, after the very act of him being elected blew it apart.

DEMOCRATIC
APRIL 15, 1865 – MARCH 4, 1869

Honored his fallen predecessor the only way he knew how, by undoing all of Lincoln’s accomplishments one by one.

REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1869 – MARCH 4, 1877

In an effort to one-up winning the Civil War, Grant got pretty good at crushing the Ku Klux Klan.

REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1877 – MARCH 4, 1881

After months of contested voting results, elected in a series of back-room deals. Democracy!

REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1881 – SEPTEMBER 19, 1881

Shot in the chest and died from 19th century medical practices because he didn’t want to give a madman a job.

REPUBLICAN
SEPTEMBER 19, 1881 – MARCH 4, 1885

Product of political corruption but broke all ties to past cronies once in office.

DEMOCRATIC
MARCH 4, 1885 – MARCH 4, 1889

Married Frances Folsom during his first term, who promised to be back in four years after losing re-election.

REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1889 – MARCH 4, 1893

Nicknamed “The Human Iceberg” for his chilly persona, as opposed to his grandfather, who was just chilly.

DEMOCRATIC
MARCH 4, 1893 – MARCH 4, 1897

Always known for honesty, The Clevelands are back! Only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1897 – SEPTEMBER 14, 1901

Allowed media tycoons to declare war on Spain so they could sell more newspapers.

REPUBLICAN
SEPTEMBER 14, 1901 – MARCH 4, 1909

A man. A plan. A canal. In the arena. The very definition of the rugged individualist American.

REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1909 – MARCH 4, 1913

Only one to use the Presidency as a stepping stone to his true dream job: Supreme Court Justice.

DEMOCRATIC
MARCH 4, 1913 – MARCH 4, 1921

Thought two things: we would stay out of World War I and that the south would rise again. Both were wrong.

REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1921 – AUGUST 2, 1923

A flirt. A crook. A drunk. “I am not fit for this office and never should have been here.”

REPUBLICAN
AUGUST 2, 1923 – MARCH 4, 1929

A dry wit but spoke little, a woman once made a bet she could get three words out of him. He replied “you lose.”

REPUBLICAN
MARCH 4, 1929 – MARCH 4, 1933

“A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage!” Just kidding – economic depression for everybody!

DEMOCRATIC
MARCH 4, 1933 – APRIL 12, 1945

“Happy Days Are Here Again!” Made America win so much we got tired of winning.

DEMOCRATIC
APRIL 12, 1945 – JANUARY 20, 1953

Went from being elected Vice President to using the first nuclear weapon in less than seven months.

REPUBLICAN
JANUARY 20, 1953 – JANUARY 20, 1961

Spoke out about the dangers of the “military-industrial complex” and we laughed and laughed and…

DEMOCRATIC
JANUARY 20, 1961 – NOVEMBER 22, 1963

He chose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other thing.

DEMOCRATIC
NOVEMBER 22, 1963 – JANUARY 20, 1969

Took a short vacation from being a life-long racist to sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

REPUBLICAN
JANUARY 20, 1969 – AUGUST 9, 1974

Shakespearean-level paranoia. Accomplished some good but you only care about Watergate so fine.

REPUBLICAN
AUGUST 9, 1974 – JANUARY 20, 1977

Appointed Vice President. President by vacancy. Only one to hold the office without being elected in any way.

DEMOCRATIC
JANUARY 20, 1977 – JANUARY 20, 1981

Spent decades making up for a flawed presidency by building houses for every single person in the world.

REPUBLICAN
JANUARY 20, 1981 – JANUARY 20, 1989

Jelly-bean eatin’, Gipper winnin’, economic down-tricklin’, Irani weapon-sellin’, President movie-star cowboy.

REPUBLICAN
JANUARY 20, 1989 – JANUARY 20, 1993

Saw the end of the Soviet Union and then we decided we didn’t need him anymore.

DEMOCRATIC
JANUARY 20, 1993 – JANUARY 20, 2001

Called the first black President after we gave up all hope of there ever being a real one.

REPUBLICAN
JANUARY 20, 2001 – JANUARY 20, 2009

Gave us eight years of “funny Bush-isms” to distract us from invading the wrong country to impress Daddy.

DEMOCRATIC
JANUARY 20, 2009 – JANUARY 20, 2017

YES WE CAN (mileage may vary).

REPUBLICAN
JANUARY 20, 2017 – JANUARY 20, 2021

Killed 400,000 Americans, incited insurrection to stay in power, remade 1/3 of the Supreme Court in his image. A human dog-whistle.

JANUARY 20, 2021 – PRESENT

Likes: Randomly quoting Irish poets. Dislikes: All this malarkey.