02/16/2026
Presidents Day Fun Fact:
Did you know George Washington had a standing appointment every Tuesday and Thursday nightâright after duties were done and wigs were slightly loosenedâto play DJ Trivia with his staff?
It started innocently enough: a few questions over supper, a bit of friendly competition, maybe a harmless wager of apple pie versus bragging rights. But it didnât take long before the âFather of His Countryâ became the Father of Absolutely Needing One More Question.
Washington took it seriouslyânot âmarch an army through winterâ serious, but close. Heâd sit at the head of the table with a quill in hand, scanning the clue like it was a battle plan.
âGentlemen,â heâd say, narrowing his eyes, âthis is clearly a trick question.â
Hamiltonânever one to stay quietâwould argue every answer like he was filibustering Congress.
Jefferson would insist the correct response was âmore philosophically nuanced.â
And poor Washingtonâs staff? They learned quickly: if you tried to sneak a peek at someone elseâs paper, you didnât just lose pointsâyou lost the Generalâs respect. Legend says he once stared a man into complete honesty.
But hereâs the best part: Washington loved it so much that he made it officialâan unspoken executive tradition. From then on, every president carried the torch: DJ Trivia night with the staff.
Lincoln famously crushed the history rounds and delivered the answers like a courtroom speech.
Teddy Roosevelt treated every âDouble Down Dareâ like a charge up San Juan Hill.
JFK was smooth until the pop culture questions showed upâthen heâd whisper, âWe choose to guess⌠not because it is easy, but because it is hard.â
And if you think modern presidents donât get competitive? Please. There are rumors of a classified binder titled:
âThings We Do Not Discuss Publicly:
UFOs
Area 51
The Do-or-Die Dare Incidentâ
To this day, no matter whatâs happening in the world, you can bet somewhere in the White Houseâtwo nights a weekâthe staff is huddled around a table, pens down, timer running, someone yelling âLOCK IT IN,â and a president squinting at the final question like it personally insulted the nation.
Because some traditions arenât written into the ConstitutionâŚ
Theyâre written on the answer sheet.
