U.S. President Facts That Will Make You See Them Differently

Woodrow Wilson hosted a private White House screening of “The Birth of a Nation,” a film infamous for racist depictions and glorifying the Ku Klux Klan. It was the first movie ever shown in the White House — and one of the most controversial choices imaginable for the debut.

The backlash lasted decades. Whether Wilson personally “praised” the film is debated, but the screening itself became a lasting stain on his legacy. It’s a shocking early example of how pop culture and politics can collide in all the wrong ways, leaving a reputation-marking moment behind.