Top 10 Worst Movie Presidents of All Time

Last Updated on August 3, 2021

The United States is currently in the middle of one of the most bizarre Presidential elections in history. Whether you lean Republican or Democrat, chances are you have some truly negative things to say about who is running for the leader of the country. Still, there are definitely worse candidates out there. Looking at film history, here is a ranking of the ten worst movie Presidents. Some of these may still seem better than who is running this year while others are eerily similar. Still, I doubt you would want any of these individuals running your country. If you disagree with our list or think we missed a bad POTUS, let us know in the talk backs below. And God Bless America.

#1 – President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (IDIOCRACY)

Basically Donald Trump if he were a professional wrestler. IDIOCRACY is a disturbingly prescient film that has no right being anywhere close to reality. This movie should be required viewing for every American to see exactly where we are headed if we don’t turn things around and soon.

#2 – President Merkin Muffley (DR. STRANGELOVE)

Stanley Kubrick’s take on presidential politics gives us the neutered and polite Merkin Muffley. Played by the brilliant Peter Sellers, President Muffley is the type of leader who proclaims that you cannot fight in the War Room. Talking to Soviet leaders with an affected and overly nice tone of voice, this is not a President who will do anything beneficial but instead brings about nuclear armageddon. At least it is funny watching our country go down in flames.

#3 – President Alan Richmond (ABSOLUTE POWER)

Never cross Clint Eastwood. That should just be a rule for everyone. But, when Eastwood witnesses a drunken President sexually assault a woman and then have his Secret Service agents kill her, you better believe he will be out for justice. Gene Hackman is a master at playing good and bad guys and President Richmond is another asshole who abuses his office for personal satisfaction. In the end, he gets what is coming to him which is more than we can ask for.

#4 – President James Dale (MARS ATTACKS!)

Jack Nicholson is a cool son of a bitch, but he is not someone you would want to be President. Okay, so maybe I would want President Nicholson, but not the character he plays in Tim Burton’s MARS ATTACKS!. President Dale is a fool who only cares about his own safety. Unable to decide on whether to wage nuclear war, Dale eventually escapes but leaves his wife and daughter behind. Definitely not a good leader and one who almost cost the lives of every person on Earth. Thankfully, we have Lukas Haas and Tom Jones to save the day.

#5 – President Baxter Harris (SCARY MOVIE 3)

Leslie Nielsen was the benchmark for bumbling idiot and when he joined the cast of the third SCARY MOVIE he got the chance to deliver a President who is as dumb as he looks. Nielsen plays President Harris like the doppelganger for his NAKED GUN character, Frank Drebin, which means pratfalls and misunderstandings galore. Still, he seems better equipped to lead us than some real life candidates.

#6 – The President (LOVE ACTUALLY)

Leave it to the British to characterize the leader of the United States as a Southern gentleman who is a scoundrel and a poon-hound. I can think of no actor better suited for that type of role than Billy Bob Thornton who gives this nameless President a few minutes of memorable screen time but enough to warrant this spot on our list. At one moment he is body-shaming an intern and the next he is making advances. Typical American.

#7 – President Jack Stanton (PRIMARY COLORS)

Based on the novel, PRIMARY COLORS is a thinly veiled satire of Bill Clinton’s rise to power. John Travolta plays Jack Stanton almost like the real Clinton which means there is intelligence, swagger, and a whole bunch of sexual innuendo. While most of the film follows the election leading to his presidency, we can still surmise what kind of leader Stanton is by the time he gains power at the end of the film. Be thankful the real Clinton wasn’t this much of a douche bag.

#8 – President Bennett (CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER)

Less an outward monster like some on this list, Bennett is instead a very real leader who makes decisions that have impact on the citizens he presumes to lead. With the war on drugs a central element of this story, Bennett knowingly takes part in a conspiracy that threatens the lives of men and women on the front lines only to add more money to his own wealth. Leave it to Jack Ryan to set him straight.

#9 – The President (ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK)

Donald Pleasance plays one of the sleaziest Commanders in Chief to appear on film. A victimized leader who needs to be rescued by Snake Plissken, the President turns into an ungrateful bastard by the end of the movie. With no regret for all the lives lost to save his, the President goes about business as usual before realizing he has been screwed over by Snake.

#10 – President Richard Nixon (DICK)

While Nixon is already a contentious figure in real life, he becomes something of a laughing stock villain in this comedy feature. Starring Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams, DICK presents a paranoid Nixon who makes the baffling decision to hire two teen girls as his official dog-walkers. Chaos ensues as the ditzy teens become the informant Deep Throat and help with Nixon’s downfall.

Source: JoBlo.com

About the Author

5977 Articles Published

Alex Maidy has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. A Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of Chicago Indie Critics, Alex has been JoBlo.com's primary TV critic and ran columns including Top Ten and The UnPopular Opinion. When not riling up fans with his hot takes, Alex is an avid reader and aspiring novelist.