Politics is not for everyone, and not everyone is meant for politics; it’s chaotic. People are motive-driven, their lives become scandalous, and everything a politician does evolves into a topic of public discussion. Stories about their personal lives may also include high-profile cheating speculations and relationships with a significant age gap. Over the years, many politicians have grabbed headlines for being involved with younger women.
Have you ever wondered about the psychology of men interested in much younger women? The List conferred Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist based in NYC and director of Comprehend the Mind. Dr. Hafeez clarified that power often brings a high sense of confidence and control, which may make politicians more drawn to affinities where they feel they can exert influence, such as with younger partners.
From the infamous Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton affair, which started around 1995 and ended in 1997, to many other less famous ones, politics and love together seem like a bad choice; after all, it’s a logic vs. heart game, right?
Meanwhile, dating a younger partner boosts a politician’s self-esteem and retains their need for power and desire. Talking to some public figures having affairs, Dr. Hafeez notes that it may be a way to keep their ego in place and fulfill their need for validation despite their outcome, which may be beyond public scrutiny and social shame. The stress from their work can also create distance between them and their spouse, leading them to acquire their romantic needs elsewhere.
We have curated a list of politicians in America who have been involved (married or dating both) behind many politicians’ age-gap relationships and scandalous affairs in the past year. Check it out.
Politician RFK Jr. allegedly had an affair with Olivia Nuzzi
Se dette innlegget på Instagram
In September 2024, The New York Magazine revealed that one of its top political writers, Olivia Nuzzi, had been placed on leave after disclosing a “personal relationship” with someone involved in the 2024 presidential race. People were smart enough to figure out that it was Robert Kennedy, who had been married to Cheryl Hines since 2014, and even Olivia Nuzzi was engaged to Ryan Lizza then.
Later, editor David Haskell released internal details about it and said that the affair began in December 2023 and ended the same year. Amidst public speculation, Nuzzi’s former accused Kennedy of trying to control her. Nuzzi admitted that the relationship was toxic, admitting the problematic power dynamics at play.
Politician John Edwards reportedly got his mistress pregnant
John Edwards, an American lawyer and former politician who represented North Carolina in the United States Senate from 1999 to 2005, became embroiled in a huge scandal in 2007 when reports surfaced of him having an affair with a staffer from his campaign, which he allegedly denied. He was married to Elizabeth Edwards.
Later, However, it soon came to light that his mistress was Rielle Hunter, a woman 11 years his junior. In her 2012 memoir, What Really Happened, Hunter revealed that Edwards had at least three other mistresses. In May 2007, things took a shocking flip as Hunter told John Edwards that she was pregnant with his child Edwards reportedly reacted angrily, accusing her of lying and claiming she had promised him she was unable to get pregnant. He then pressured his former aide, Andrew Young, to convince Hunter to have an abortion.
In February 2008, Hunter gave birth to a daughter, Frances Quinn, but it wasn’t until January 2010 that Edwards publicly admitted he was the father. By that time, John and Elizabeth had already separated, and she passed away from cancer in December 2010.
President Donald Trump and his record of being with younger women and alleged affairs
View this post on Instagram
President Donald Trump has also joined the list of former politicians. The 78-year-old president shares a 24-year age gap with his wife, First Lady Melania Trump. The former model and Trump share an 18-year-old son, Barron.
She revealed in several interviews that when Melania was 26, Donald Trump was 53 and was going through a separation from his second wife, Marla Maples, who was 17 years younger than him. In addition, he was also involved with adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who is 33 years younger than him, and Playboy model Karen McDougal, who is 25 years younger.
Meanwhile, Melania and Donald Trump’s relationship has been under immense scrutiny from the media due to the First Lady remaining low-key in the public. Furthermore, Dr. Sanam Hafeez, who conducted the neurological study, explained, “The youthfulness or attractiveness of a partner can symbolize success, something politicians seeking to project power may find advantageous.”
Rudy Giuliani has reportedly had many affairs with large age gaps
Associate Attorney General of the United States, Rudi Giuliani. According to The Washington Post, Rudy Giuliani, then 55, first met 45-year-old Judith Nathan at a cigar bar in 1999. Despite being married to Donna Hanover then, Giuliani could not control their chemistry and started seeing her anyway.
CBS News reported that Hanover filed for divorce in October 2000, alleging that her husband had an affair with former staffer Christyne Lategano-Nicholas, who was over 20 years younger than him. Giuliani and Lategano-Nicholas both refused any romantic involvement. Hanover’s divorce from Giuliani was finalized in July 2002, and he married Nathan the following year. In March 2018, however, Giuliani was seen with Maria Rosa Ryan, a married hospital administrator 21 years his junior.
