Most Corrupt: Exposing Wilson, FDR, and Truman: The Truth They Buried - YouTube

Fact-Check and Summary: Presidents Wilson, FDR, and Truman

Executive Summary

This video transcript presents biographies of three American presidents: Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921), Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945), and Harry S. Truman (1945-1953). While many basic biographical facts are accurate, the presentation contains significant biases, oversimplifications, and some factual errors. The narrator appears to have a strong conservative perspective that colors the interpretation of historical events.

Major Fact-Check Findings

ACCURATE INFORMATION

Woodrow Wilson:

• Born December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia ✓
• Father was a Presbyterian minister ✓
• Only president to earn a doctorate (Johns Hopkins, 1886) ✓
• President of Princeton University (1902-1910) ✓
• Segregated federal workforce during his presidency ✓
• Screened "Birth of a Nation" at White House in 1915 ✓
• Established Federal Reserve System ✓
• Died February 3, 1924 ✓

Franklin D. Roosevelt:

• Born January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, New York ✓
• Fifth cousin to Theodore Roosevelt ✓
• Married Eleanor Roosevelt in 1905 ✓
• Contracted polio in 1921 ✓
• Only president elected to four terms ✓
• Died April 12, 1945, at Warm Springs, Georgia ✓
• Did provide secret aid to Britain before Pearl Harbor ✓
• Kept Truman largely uninformed about major decisions ✓

Harry S. Truman:

• Born May 8, 1884, in Lamar, Missouri ✓
• Only president since McKinley without college degree ✓
• Served in WWI as artillery captain ✓
• Became president upon FDR's death ✓
• Authorized atomic bomb use against Japan ✓

PROBLEMATIC OR MISLEADING CLAIMS

Wilson Section:

• Tuskegee Experiments: The video claims FDR "did not" defund the Tuskegee syphilis experiments and "accelerated" them. However, these experiments began in 1932 under the Hoover administration and continued under multiple administrations until 1972. The experiments were run by the U.S. Public Health Service, not directly controlled by presidential decisions.

FDR Section:

• Comparison to Hitler: The video repeatedly compares FDR's New Deal programs to Nazi policies, suggesting they were "very similar platforms." This is historically misleading—while both leaders implemented public works programs during economic crises, the political contexts, methods, and ultimate goals were fundamentally different.
• Gold Confiscation: Claims FDR "basically stole gold." Executive Order 6102 required Americans to sell gold to the government at fair market value, not confiscation without compensation.

Truman Section:

• The video accurately covers major events but shows bias in characterizing certain decisions as purely negative without adequate historical context.

Summary of Presidential Achievements

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

Major Achievements:

• Progressive Reforms: Established Federal Reserve System (1913), Federal Trade Commission, and passed Clayton Antitrust Act
• Economic Policy: Reduced tariffs through Underwood Tariff Act, established graduated income tax
• Constitutional Amendments: Supported 17th Amendment (direct election of senators) and 19th Amendment (women's suffrage)
• International Leadership: Led U.S. through World War I, proposed Fourteen Points for peace, conceived League of Nations
• Nobel Peace Prize: Awarded in 1919 for peace efforts

Major Controversies:

• Racial Segregation: Segregated federal workforce, reversing decades of integration
• Civil Rights: Failed to support anti-lynching legislation, appointed segregationists to cabinet
• "Birth of a Nation": First film screened at White House, which glorified the KKK

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)

Major Achievements:

• Economic Recovery: New Deal programs helped end Great Depression through public works, banking reform, and social safety net
• Social Security: Established Social Security system providing old-age pensions and unemployment insurance
• Labor Rights: Wagner Act strengthened collective bargaining rights
• World War II Leadership: Successfully led U.S. through WWII, maintained crucial alliances
• Institutional Reform: Modernized federal government, established FDIC, SEC, and other regulatory agencies

Major Controversies:

• Court Packing: Attempted to expand Supreme Court to overcome constitutional challenges
• Japanese American Internment: Authorized internment of Japanese Americans during WWII
• Racial Issues: Failed to strongly support civil rights legislation, though some New Deal programs did benefit African Americans

Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)

Major Achievements:

• Post-War Leadership: Successfully transitioned U.S. from wartime to peacetime economy
• Civil Rights: Desegregated armed forces via Executive Order 9981 (1948), first major federal civil rights action since Reconstruction
• Foreign Policy: Established Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, NATO; contained Soviet expansion
• International Institutions: Helped establish United Nations, recognized Israel (1948)
• Domestic Policy: Attempted to expand New Deal through "Fair Deal" programs

Major Controversies:

• Atomic Bomb: Only president to authorize nuclear weapons use in warfare
• Korean War: Conducted war without Congressional declaration, fired General MacArthur
• Labor Relations: Seized steel mills during labor dispute (ruled unconstitutional by Supreme Court)

Source Citations

1. Encyclopedia Virginia. "Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)." February 18, 2025. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/wilson-woodrow-1856-1924/
2. History.com. "Woodrow Wilson born in Staunton, Virginia." November 16, 2009. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-28/woodrow-wilson-born-in-staunton-virginia
3. Wikipedia. "Woodrow Wilson and race." January 8, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson_and_race
4. Berkeley Haas. "How Woodrow Wilson's racist policies eroded the Black civil service." July 25, 2024. https://newsroom.haas.berkeley.edu/research/how-woodrow-wilsons-racist-segregation-order-eroded-the-black-civil-service/
5. History.com. "How Woodrow Wilson Tried to Reverse Black American Progress." July 14, 2020. https://www.history.com/articles/woodrow-wilson-racial-segregation-jim-crow-ku-klux-klan
6. Wikipedia. "Franklin D. Roosevelt." January 12, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt
7. History.com. "Franklin Delano Roosevelt is born." November 16, 2009. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-30/fdr-is-born
8. FDR Presidential Library. "Facts & Figures: FDR." https://www.fdrlibrary.org/fdr-facts
9. Wikipedia. "Harry S. Truman." January 11, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_S._Truman
10. History.com. "Harry S. Truman is born." November 16, 2009. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-8/harry-s-truman-is-born
11. CDC. "The Untreated Syphilis Study at Tuskegee Timeline." September 5, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/about/timeline.html
12. History.com. "Tuskegee Experiment: The Infamous Syphilis Study." May 16, 2017. https://www.history.com/articles/the-infamous-40-year-tuskegee-study
13. Wikipedia. "Tuskegee Syphilis Study." December 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Syphilis_Study

Additional Analysis: Wilson's Financial Backers and Post-Stroke Governance

Wilson's Campaign Financing and War Entry

Claims About Financial Backers: The video alleges that Wilson was backed by wealthy industrialists including Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan, Ford, and others who wanted him to enter WWI to protect their European investments. However, the historical evidence for this specific claim is limited and requires nuanced examination:

What the Evidence Shows:

• Wilson's 1912 nomination came after complex convention politics, with key support from William Jennings Bryan and Edward "Colonel" House, not primarily Wall Street interests
• Some financial interests, particularly Morgan interests, did support creating the Progressive Party to split the Republican vote and elect a Democrat, though this was more about opposing Taft than specifically backing Wilson
• Colonel Edward House, Wilson's closest advisor and a wealthy Texan, was instrumental in securing Wilson's 1912 nomination and became his chief foreign policy advisor

Campaign Financing Reality: Unlike modern campaigns, detailed financial records of 1912 and 1916 campaign contributions are not as extensively documented. The video's claims about specific industrialists as Wilson's primary backers are not well-supported by available historical evidence. Wilson's support came more from Democratic Party networks and progressive reformers.

War Entry Decision: Wilson campaigned in 1916 explicitly on "He Kept Us Out of War" and won reelection on that platform. His decision to ask for war declaration in April 1917 came after German resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmermann Telegram revelation, not due to financial pressure from backers.

Wilson's Stroke and Continuation of Presidency

Who Made the Decision: On October 2, 1919, Wilson suffered a massive stroke that left him paralyzed on his left side and with severely impaired cognitive abilities. The decision for Wilson to continue serving rather than resign was made by:

Primary Decision Makers:

1. Edith Bolling Wilson (First Lady): Edith Wilson became the primary gatekeeper, deciding which matters reached the president and effectively managing executive functions from October 1919 to March 1921
2. Dr. Cary T. Grayson (White House Physician): Dr. Grayson, along with Edith Wilson, led the cover-up of Wilson's true condition and advised against resignation, believing it would be harmful to Wilson's health
3. Joseph Tumulty (White House Secretary): Tumulty, Wilson's chief of staff equivalent, colluded with Edith Wilson and Dr. Grayson in managing the presidency

Constitutional Issues: At this time, there were no clear constitutional guidelines for presidential succession in cases of incapacitation. The 25th Amendment wasn't ratified until 1967. Secretary of State Robert Lansing called a cabinet meeting to discuss the situation but was later forced to resign for "assumption of presidential authority".

Vice President's Role: Edith Wilson was particularly suspicious of Vice President Thomas Marshall's motives and actively kept him from learning the full extent of Wilson's condition. What occurred essentially amounted to an unelected government, with Edith Wilson and Dr. Grayson exercising presidential authority.

Additional FDR Analysis: Secret Aid and Governance Issues

FDR's Pre-War Neutrality Violations: Like Wilson, FDR did campaign on keeping America out of war but simultaneously provided covert aid to Britain:

Secret British Aid:

• Destroyers-for-Bases Deal (1940): FDR circumvented Congress by trading 50 obsolete destroyers to Britain for 99-year leases on military bases, using executive authority without congressional approval
• Lend-Lease Program (1941): While technically legal after congressional approval, FDR designed this to aid Britain while maintaining the fiction of neutrality
• Cash-and-Carry (1939): Modified Neutrality Acts to allow arms sales to belligerents, knowing it would primarily benefit Britain
• Atlantic Patrols: Extended US naval patrols deep into the Atlantic, essentially providing convoy protection before formal war entry

Constitutional and Legal Issues: FDR's actions paralleled Wilson's in pushing constitutional boundaries. The destroyers deal was particularly controversial, with legal experts questioning whether it violated both neutrality laws and congressional authority over foreign affairs.

Social Security Debate: The video's characterization of Social Security as a "Ponzi scheme" reflects ongoing economic debates:

Arguments for "Ponzi Scheme" Characterization:

• Current workers pay current retirees, similar to Ponzi structure
• Demographic changes (declining birth rates, aging population) threaten sustainability
• Trust fund projected to be depleted by 2033 without changes
• System depends on continuous influx of new contributors

Arguments Against:

• Unlike Ponzi schemes, Social Security is transparent with regular audits and oversight
• Program can be adjusted through benefit or tax changes to remain solvent
• Provides modest, realistic returns rather than promising high profits
• Government backing provides legitimacy that private schemes lack

Current Financial Status: Social Security faces genuine demographic challenges with worker-to-beneficiary ratios declining from 5.1 in 1960 to 2.7 in 2023, requiring reforms to maintain full benefits beyond 2033.

FDR's Health Concealment and Truman's Unpreparedness: Hidden Illness:

• FDR's declining health was deliberately concealed from both the public and Truman
• By 1944, FDR showed obvious signs of serious illness but continued campaigning for a fourth term
• Medical records revealed severe cardiovascular problems that would have disqualified him from many positions

Truman's Isolation:

• FDR and Truman met alone only twice during their 82 days as president/vice president
• Truman was excluded from major wartime decisions and had no knowledge of the Manhattan Project until after FDR's death
• When informed of Roosevelt's death, Truman told reporters he felt like "the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me"

Consequences: This pattern of excluding vice presidents from major decisions (similar to Wilson keeping Marshall uninformed) created dangerous constitutional vulnerabilities and governance continuity problems.

Historical Assessment: This period represents one of the most constitutionally problematic in American history, where an unelected first lady effectively ran the executive branch for over a year. Edith Wilson later described her role as "stewardship" and denied making policy decisions, claiming she only decided what was "important" enough to bring to her husband.

Modern Relevance: The 25th Amendment's Inadequacy

The Wilson precedent has gained renewed relevance in recent years, highlighting how the 25th Amendment may not be working as intended to address presidential incapacity.

Constitutional Problems Persist: The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967 specifically to address Wilson-era problems, has structural flaws that make it practically unusable:

1. Political Conflict of Interest: Section 4 requires the Vice President and majority of Cabinet to declare a president unfit, but Cabinet members serve at the president's pleasure, creating inherent conflicts
2. Impossibly High Bar: Requires 2/3 of both houses of Congress to sustain removal if the president objects, making it more difficult than impeachment
3. Vague Standards: The amendment provides no clear definition of "inability" or medical criteria, treating presidential fitness as purely political rather than medical
4. Never Used: Despite various health concerns across multiple presidencies, Section 4 has never been invoked for involuntary removal

Historical Irony: The amendment may have made the situation worse than Wilson's era:

• 1919: No formal process led to ad hoc family/staff decisions
• Modern Era: Formal process exists but is so politically fraught it's essentially unusable

Contemporary Parallels: Recent concerns about presidential capacity in various administrations echo Wilson-era issues:

• Information control by inner circles
• Questions about who really makes decisions
• Debates over transparency regarding presidential health
• Constitutional ambiguity about addressing incapacity

This suggests that despite constitutional "fixes," the fundamental problem of how to address presidential incapacity remains unresolved, with the Wilson precedent serving as a cautionary tale that continues to resonate in modern American governance.

Conclusion

While the video provides extensive biographical information, viewers should be aware of its conservative bias and selective interpretation of historical events. The presenter makes legitimate criticisms of racial policies under Wilson and some wartime decisions, but also presents misleading comparisons (particularly FDR to Hitler) and oversimplifies complex historical situations.

Regarding specific claims: The allegations about Wilson's specific financial backers forcing him into war lack strong historical documentation, though there were certainly business interests that benefited from American involvement. The post-stroke governance represents a genuine constitutional crisis where Wilson's inner circle, led by his wife, made the decision to continue his presidency while concealing his incapacitation from Congress and the public.

For a complete understanding of these presidencies, readers should consult multiple academic sources representing diverse historical perspectives.

Most Corrupt: Exposing Wilson, FDR, and Truman: The Truth They Buried - YouTube