Could the White House be one of the most haunted locations in the world? New Shock Doc, “Demon in the White House,” explores that possibility and how the actions of two grieving First Ladies may have unwittingly invited an evil presence with a malevolent agenda to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. A presence that may still torment America’s presidents, as well as their families, visitors, and closest advisors.
President Franklin Pierce and First Lady Jane Pierce lost their son Benjamin at age 11. President Abraham Lincoln and First Lady Mary Todd’s son, William, died at the same age. Both children perished during their father’s administration. The Shock Doc thriller opens archival papers, correspondence, and diaries to document a timeline of supernatural events that unfolded after these grieving families sought solace in the fashionable new spiritualism and séance movement – and the potentially catastrophic consequences that followed.
Over the last 150 years, there have been continued reports of supernatural activity and strange happenings from the presidential families that followed. One of the presidents most vocal about the paranormal activity was Harry Truman, who wrote several letters to family members explaining the disturbances. Historians count nine separate occasions that he wrote about the ghost of the White House and once said, “sure as shooting the place is haunted.”
It is believed that renovating a building can stir up ghostly activity. When the White House was being gutted, Truman hired National Park Service photographer Abbie Rowe to document this historic process. One photo shows a bulldozer and three men standing in a corner. On the other side of the frame is a figure that appears transparent. The three men standing at the same distance are solid, their shirts and ties are identifiable, and the other figure has no discernible articles of clothing. This enigmatic photo may be the first documented ghost photo at the White House.
For centuries, spirits have been reported in the White House. “Demon in the White House” aims to uncover if the presidential home is haunted by something demonic, and if so, what it could possibly want.
“Demon in the White House” launches on discovery+ on November 26, 2021. For additional content and updates, fans can follow @TravelChannel and #DemonIntheWhiteHouse on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
