Laughter in the Oval Office: Presidents and the Healing Power of a Well-Timed Joke

Faced with crises at home and abroad, presidents found that brevity and wit could lighten the weightiest office in the nation.

Humor has helped presidents navigate criticism, exhaustion, and the pressures of leadership. George Bush Presidential Library and Museum/NARA

A discussion on the Mayo Clinic website offers some commonplace bits of humor to bring a smile when under stress. Here are a few of them:

“When life gives you lemons, just add vodka!”