Who wore it best? Cowboy hat photo ops are a presidential tradition (2024)

UPDATE at 4:04 p.m. Feb. 19, 2018: This story was originally published in July 2017. We're bringing it back in honor of President's Day.

Last July, Donald Trump took part in a time-honored presidential tradition:With cameras whirring, he donned a cowboy hat for a quick photo op in the East Room of the White House.

The hatis meant to make the leader of the free world look a little more down-to-earth. A trueman of the people can pull off the wide-brimmed Stetson, right?

Problem is, not all presidents can pull off the Western look. It's not as natural for a billionaire real estate mogul from Manhattan turned commander in chief, for example, as it is for a ranch owner from Crawford, Texas.

So who wore it best? Scroll down to see a handful of presidents try the 10-gallon look.

Donald Trump

It might not have the same allure as his red "Make America Great Again" cap, but President Trump proved he can pull off a custom-made Stetson from Garland at a "Made in America" product showcase in the White House.

Barack Obama

In a 2016 visit to Dallas, President Barack Obama snagged the hat of Grand Prairie ISD school board member David Espinosa for a quick photo. Unfortunately, the fit was a little small for Obama's noggin.

George W. Bush

It'srare to find George W. Bush without a cowboy hat. The former governor of Texas used to set his hat on the Resolute desk in the Oval Office. He often wore it while vacationing at his ranch in Crawford. Hedonned one during his inaugural balls. Bush 43's cowboy image was part of his political success, and he wasn't afraid to show it.

Bill Clinton

You can take the boy out of Arkansas, but ... Clinton wasn't much of a hat-wearer during his two terms, but he also took part in the presidential photo op while on a campaign stop in Fort Worth in 1996.

George H.W. Bush

While campaigning for his first presidential term, then-Vice President George H. W. Bush walked in the Houston Rodeo Parade, making sure not to miss the traditional cap and scarf look.

Ronald Reagan

An old Western movie actor, Ronald Reagan also embraced the cowboy look throughouthis presidency. Here, in 1992, Reagan talks with former Soviet PresidentMikhail Gorbachev. Gorbachev's hat was on backward, but the Great Communicator opted not to tell him.

Jimmy Carter

Before losing to Reagan in 1980, President Jimmy Carter tried on a cowboy hat to drum up support in the Rio Grande Valley. Nowadays, Carter is more likely to be wearing a hard hat on his Habitat for Humanity projects than a cowboy hat.

Lyndon B. Johnson

LBJ was born, raised and died on his family's land in the Texas Hill Country, so it's no surprise heoften wore a 10-gallon hat. His Texan cred might not have helped in hyper-conservative Dallas, but having him on the ticket swayed the state for the Democrats in the 1960 election.

John F. Kennedy

JFK set fashion trends by not wearing a hat like many men of the1950s and early '60s. At a breakfast with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 22, 1963, he was given a cowboy hat and boots as a gift. The crowd cheered for him to put it on, but he refused. "I'll put it on in the White House on Monday. If you come up there you'll have a chance to see it then," he said to laughter and applausebefore leaving on Air Force One for Love Field.

UPDATE, 10:34 a.m. July 24, 2017: Reporter Alan Peppard points out this rare footage, from Kennedy's 1960 visit to Dallas on his presidential campaign. "I've just been presented this hat, but I don't have the guts to wear it just yet," he said at first. Then, near the end of this clip, he changed his mind. "I'm going to wear this in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Boston," he said, putting the white cap on his head.

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CORRECTION,3:45 p.m. July 18, 2017: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described President Donald Trump asa millionaire. He is a billionaire.