John F. Kennedy was the U.S. president during the 1962 stock-market crash known as the Kennedy Slide.
The Kennedy Slide ran from December 1961 into June 1962, with the sharpest declines occurring in the spring. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 26.5% from its December 1961 peak to its June low. On May 28, 1962, the Dow suffered its largest one-day percentage decline since the 1929 crash at that time.
The nickname linked the market’s weakness to Kennedy’s administration, especially its confrontation with the steel industry after companies raised prices. Other factors included slowing economic growth, high interest rates, and investor concern about corporate earnings.
The crash was not caused by one presidential decision. The Kennedy administration’s policies formed part of the market story, but the decline reflected broader economic and financial pressures. Lyndon B. Johnson became president only after Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, well after the slide.