Contrary to the claim that Donald Trump happens to be the first President- former or incumbent- to be arrested, fact remains that it was in 1872 the 18th President of America Ulysses S Grant had once also been arrested and fined by the police.
Grant who was hugely fond of strong and fast running horses used to run the horse driven carriages in high speed – that too in front of White House. And as such the President used to repeatedly violate the ‘traffic rules’ of that time.
Once, as usual, while President Grant was racing a two horse carriage – and that too on high speed on the street of Washington – a police man stopped him and gave him stern warning. But Grant obviously loved to get high on the sounds of hooves more than the traffic rules, took to street again, this time with his friends on a two horse driven carriage race on the street. The policemen came, stopped their commander in chief, took the President—also his racing friends- to the police station and arrested them. President Grant and his friends had to give $20 in bail –that was clearly a huge amount those days, 150 years ago.
The arrest of the President Grant was first told by the police officer himself – long after his retirement to Sunday Star of Washington in 1908. Later – about 100 years Washington police also confirmed the arrest of the President.
There was another President Lyndon Johnson who faced almost similar fate of Grant when he was driving on a breakneck speed.
It was said that President Johnson was driving his Lincoln in high speed near his ranch in Texas when a policeman stopped him. As the policeman leaned down to say “license and registration please”, he saw the president and said “Oh! my god!”. Johnson coolly answered “that’s right sonny, don’t forget it!”
However, Trump’s arrest actually also came closer in comparison to Richard Nixon, faced with criminal prosecution for Watergate. He resigned and later was pardoned by next President Gerald Ford.
(With inputs from New York Times)
