Fact check: Which US Presidents have been accused of felonies while in office?

1. The headline claim — one president crossed the criminal-conviction line

The clearest, most recent factual development is that Donald Trump has been convicted on felony counts related to falsifying business records tied to a 2016 hush‑money payment; news reports list 34 counts in that New York case and note his ongoing appeals ^{[1] [4]}. Multiple outlets also summarize that across four distinct federal and state prosecutions he faces or faced a combined total of 88 criminal charges across a range of allegations, from mishandling classified documents to efforts related to the 2020 election ^{[2] [5]}. This constellation of indictments and at least one conviction makes him unique in U.S. presidential history as a person who has been criminally charged and convicted in connection with actions tied to his pre‑presidential and post‑presidential periods ^{[1] [2]}.

2. What the record actually says about timings and status

Careful distinction matters: many of Trump’s indictments and the counts listed were brought after his presidency ended, not while he was sitting in the Oval Office. The New York falsifying‑business‑records indictment (34 counts) and the related conviction are tied to payments and conduct surrounding the 2016 campaign and were prosecuted later ^{[4] [1]}. Reporting that catalogs “88 criminal charges” aggregates multiple cases filed at different times and in different jurisdictions; those counts include charges filed while he was a private citizen and some filed after his presidency, not prosecutions that occurred during his term itself ^{[5] [2]}. The distinction between “accused while in office” and “accused after leaving office for acts committed while in office or before” is crucial. ^{[4] [5]}

3. Historical comparisons — scandals, impeachments, but not felony convictions in office

U.S. presidents have faced serious political and ethical scandals before Trump, including impeachment of Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Richard Nixon’s resignation amid Watergate, but those episodes did not result in documented felony convictions while the individuals were serving as president ^[3]. Other presidents are frequently the subject of retrospective accusations or investigations (for example, allegations over policy or personal conduct), but historical surveys show the dominant outcomes were political remedies—impeachment, resignation, or public censure—rather than criminal convictions during the presidency ^{[6] [3]}. Past assertions about presidential “crimes” have often been driven by political conflict rather than prosecutorial outcomes. ^[6]

4. Legal categories matter — accused, indicted, charged, convicted, impeached

Legal language matters: being “accused” can mean an allegation, indictment, or public charge; an indictment or indictment filing is not the same as a conviction, and impeachment is a congressional political process distinct from criminal prosecution. Reporting shows Trump has been indicted in multiple jurisdictions and convicted in at least one state case, while earlier presidents were more commonly impeached or investigated without ensuing criminal trials or convictions during their terms ^{[5] [3] [1]}. Accurate answers require separating political accountability (impeachment) from judicial outcomes (felony indictments or convictions). ^{[5] [1]}

5. How reporting and political narratives shape public perception

Coverage emphasizes the novelty of a convicted president because it closes a long-standing gap between political scandal and criminal law enforcement at the highest level, a point used differently across outlets and partisan commentators ^{[7] [8]}. Some articles frame the conviction as unprecedented and irreversible; others note that pending appeals, concurrent cases, and political developments (including the possibility of return to office) complicate practical consequences and legal finality ^{[1] [7]}. Readers should note potential agendas: outlets highlighting “first-ever” language emphasize legal finality, while others stress unresolved appeals or political ramifications. ^{[7] [8]}

6. Bottom line — direct answer and the contextual caveat

Directly answering the question: No prior U.S. president was convicted of a felony while serving in office; Donald Trump is the first president in U.S. history to be criminally convicted (on state felony counts), but most of the indictments and the conviction relate to actions prosecuted after his term or concerning pre‑presidential conduct. Historical allegations against other presidents generally resulted in political remedies rather than criminal convictions during their administrations ^{[1] [3] [5]}. Readers should treat “accused” and “convicted” as different legal thresholds and follow ongoing appeals and case developments for any final adjustments to the record ^{[1] [2]}.