The President Who Got Stuck in a Bathtub

A Ned Neuron Investigation of Oval Office Overflow

Ned Neuron
May 22, 2025

Greetings, soggy scholars and presidential pranksters—
It’s me, Ned Neuron, your lab-coated legend of laughter and learning. Today, we’re diving (gently) into one of America’s most slippery stories:
Did a U.S. President really get stuck in a bathtub?

Short answer:
Yes.
Long answer:
Oh-ho-ho, absolutely yes—grab your rubber ducky and let’s get ridiculous.

Meet William Howard Taft: The Big Deal in the Big Chair

Let’s rewind to the early 1900s. America had just gone through the Theodore Roosevelt blender of energy, mustaches, and yelling at bears. After all that, the country wanted someone calmer, chunkier, and a little less "charge up San Juan Hill."

Enter: William Howard Taft.
Nickname? “Big Bill.”
Vibe? Presidential golden retriever energy.
Fun fact? He weighed over 340 pounds and loved pancakes, pork chops, and peace.

Now, Big Bill wasn’t just large in body—he had a large resume too:

Governor of the Philippines
Secretary of War
Actual President of the United States
Later became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (he’s the only guy to ever do both!)
The man was basically the human version of a résumé folder.

But Then… The Bathtub Happened

According to legend—and confirmed by multiple White House staffers who probably still have PTSD—Taft once got into a tub… and couldn’t get out.

Here’s how the event probably unfolded, according to my scientific reenactment:

Scene: White House, 1910
Taft: “Ah, what a fine day for a soak!”
(climbs in tub)
… silence …
Taft: “Gentlemen. I appear to be… wedged.”
Staff: “Dear God, it’s the Ohio Incident all over again.”

Six grown men were summoned to the bathroom. Ropes were involved. Possibly butter. We may never know.

Fact or Fiction?

Okay, let’s get serious (briefly).
Taft did get stuck in a bathtub at least once, but possibly not the White House tub. The most reliable story? It happened while visiting a hotel in New Jersey. Six men had to help him out.

After that?
Taft ordered a custom tub for the White House so big four men could sit in it at once.
(Which honestly sounds more like a Hot Tub Time Machine sequel than a presidential feature.)

And yes, there's a real photo of the tub being built. It looks like someone tried to forge a bathtub out of patriotism and a warship.

The Real Scoop on Taft

Look, it’s easy to make tub jokes—and we will—but Taft was a pretty chill president (in every sense):

He hated politics and once said he’d rather be a judge than the President.
He often fell asleep in public, including during parades and while standing.
He got stuck in more than just bathtubs—he also got stuck between Roosevelt and progressives, which kinda tanked his reelection.

But here’s the kicker:
He didn’t care.
Taft was all about doing what he thought was right, and if that meant getting politically dunked like a giant donut, so be it.

Quote of the Day

“Don't write so that you can be understood, write so that you can't be misunderstood.”
— William Howard Taft
(Bonus quote: “I have no ambition to be President, I just want to be happy.” — also Taft, probably while stuck in a tub)

Teaser for Monday

Coming up next:
“How a War Started Because of a Bucket”

Forward this to a friend who loves weird history, presidents, or oversized porcelain accidents.
Let’s make the world smarter, one ridiculous fact at a time.

Rubber ducky approved,
Ned Neuron
Bathtub historian. Lifelong giggle engineer.

The President Who Got Stuck in a Bathtub

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