36 Sweet And Hilarious Photos Of Presidents With Babies

Politicians use many tactics to gain the trust and support of potential voters ― including holding and kissing constituents’ babies.

“Baby kissing,” which even has its own Wikipedia entry, is a time-honored political tradition that appears to date back to the days of Andrew Jackson.

According to a story printed in 1888, Jackson took a “dirty-faced infant” from his mother’s arms and declared him “a fine specimen of American childhood” while in New Jersey in 1833. He then reportedly prompted Secretary of War John Eaton to kiss the baby before handing him back to his mother.

Other accounts have suggested that presidents like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Van Buren and Theodore Roosevelt also held and kissed babies. Apparently Grover Cleveland and Richard Nixon were not fans of the tradition, however.

Still, the practice became normalized over time, particularly on the campaign trail. Photographers have also captured images of presidents holding their own kids and grandkids over the years.

We’ve rounded up 36 photos of presidents holding and kissing babies (and a few toddlers) going back to the 19th century. Some were taken on the campaign train, while others depict president-baby interactions inside the White House. Needless to say, these photos run the gamut from adorable to hilarious to slightly off-putting...