Was Joe Biden the first presidential candidate known to have a disability during his campaign?
In the last century at least two U.S. presidents suffered some form of disability. Their challenges were known to the public during their campaigns, although President-elect Joe Biden, who has a stutter, has been relatively more open and direct about his own challenges.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, diagnosed with polio at age 39, was crippled by the disease. Though he preferred to use a cane rather than a wheelchair in public, his disability was no secret.
John F. Kennedy endured chronic back pain, undergoing multiple hospitalizations and surgeries. Lyndon Johnson, still seeking the nomination for himself before becoming JFK's running mate, divulged his opponent's medical history just before the 1960 Democratic convention. During Kennedy's earlier run for Congress, a campaign worker described him as "crippled"; he collapsed during a parade. In the Senate, he needed crutches.
