Presidents, VPs, first ladies: Who has visited Clarksville, Fort Campbell?

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – On Saturday, President Donald Trump will hold a campaign rally in Clarksville, marking the city’s second-ever presidential visit. It will be Trump’s first visit to Fort Campbell, which has hosted every president since Reagan, along with a few vice presidents and first ladies.

Why? In addition to its military and political importance, Fort Campbell Army Airfield is a good logistical stop for Air Force One, as it is a secure location that can handle large aircraft. But it’s about more than layovers. Here are the president and president-adjacent visits so far, and why they happened, according to available records.

Donald Trump: Just Vance so far

While this will be Trump’s first time here, Vice President J.D. Vance visited Fort Campbell in November 2025. At an event that also featured Kid Rock, Vance delivered a pre-Thanksgiving message focused on gratitude, higher military standards, and the importance of clear missions for America’s troops. The vice president also shared a meal with soldiers.

| MORE: Trump rally in Clarksville: Parking, road closures, prohibited items at event

Joe Biden: Multiple visits, only 1 as POTUS

President Joe Biden flew into Fort Campbell in December 2021 to tour damage in Mayfield and Dawson Springs, Kentucky, following a set of tornadoes that killed 88 people across the region. He met with victims, survivors and local officials.

Biden previously visited Fort Campbell a couple of times during his years as vice president, according to Leaf-Chronicle archives. In February 2011, he attended a Fort Campbell High School football game. He extended that trip to make a surprise visit with troops returning from Afghanistan. He also visited the post with President Barack Obama in May 2011.

First Lady Jill Biden visited Fort Campbell twice during her husband’s presidency. In December 2023, Dr. Biden came to celebrate Christmas and meet with military families whose homes were destroyed or damaged by the Dec. 9 tornado. The visit was part of her Joining Forces initiative and continued support for military families.

The First Lady previously visited in March 2022, to speak with the families of soldiers deployed to Europe in support of NATO during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Barack Obama: Capture of bin Laden

President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden visited in May 2011 to speak with soldiers who’d recently returned from a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan.

The leaders’ first stop was the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment compound, where they met privately with leadership and soldiers. It was the Night Stalkers who flew the mission in Pakistan that transported the Navy’s “Seal Team 6” on an operation that resulted in the capture and kill of terrorist Osama bin Laden. Obama then gave a speech to about 2,300 soldiers in attendance.

George W. Bush: Thanksgiving regular

President George W. Bush has visited Fort Campbell during office more than any other president, most often to spend Thanksgiving with the troops.

His first visit was in November 2001, only months after the Sept. 11 attacks and just before the 3rd Brigade Combat Team “Rakkasans” became the first brigade to deploy to Afghanistan. He came with First Lady Laura Bush.

President Bush returned with the First Lady in March 2004 to encourage thousands of soldiers who’d just returned from Iraq. Prior to his speech, the event featured a concert by Layne Brody, Jackie Valesquez, Mark Wills and Darryl Worley. After his address, Bush ate lunch with about 200 division soldiers at the 2nd Brigade dining facility, then met privately at the Don F. Pratt Museum with about 120 family members of 60 101st Airborne Division soldiers killed in Iraq.

Bush came back for Thanksgiving dinner in November 2008 and gave a speech to a packed Hangar 9 at Campbell Army Airfield. During the prior two months, approximately 10,000 soldiers had returned from Iraq to Fort Campbell.

Vice President Dick Cheney visited in October 2006 to welcome home members of the 101st Airborne Division from a yearlong deployment to Iraq. He also visited Fort Campbell briefly in February 2002.

Bill Clinton: Layover at Fort Campbell

President Bill Clinton had a layover at Fort Campbell in May 2000 to change aircraft on his way to an appearance in Owensboro, Kentucky, as part of his schools reform tour.

In September 1996, Tipper Gore, wife of Vice President Al Gore, came to Clarksville to visit a family coping with a medical financial crisis. She was promoting the recently passed Family and Medical Leave Act. Tipper Gore again visited Clarksville in February 1999 to tour damage from the January tornado.

While it appears Vice President Gore didn’t make any visits to Clarksville as VP, he did as a U.S. senator for Tennessee twice in 1985, and once as a candidate in October 1984.

George H.W. Bush: Speech at APSU

President George H.W. Bush visited Clarksville in September 1992 during his re-election campaign, making a speech at Austin Peay State University. He landed at Fort Campbell and was greeted by hundreds of soldiers. About 2,500 people lined the route as Bush’s motorcade traveled from Fort Campbell to APSU. The Dunn Center was filled to capacity with about 9,000 attendees.

The president was introduced in Clarksville by Naomi Judd, and the duo of Crystal Gayle and Ricky Skaggs performed before his arrival. Not everyone arrived to support Bush: A group of about 30 Clinton supporters demonstrated outside the Dunn Center, some wearing giant chicken suits. During his speech, Bush addressed their concerns, announcing he would accept a challenge to debate Clinton

According to available records, Bush’s 1992 visit to Clarksville has been the first and only one by a president, until the upcoming rally by Trump.

Bush also stopped at Fort Campbell in August 1988 for a campaign speech at the American Legion Hall in Oak Grove, Kentucky.

First Lady Barbara Bush visited in February 1991 at the start of Operation Desert Storm, to encourage the troops in a speech at the airfield.

Ronald Reagan: Mourning Gander victims

President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan attended the Gander memorial service in December 1985 to honor the 248 soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division killed in the plane crash over Newfoundland. Reagan walked through the crowd of about 600 surviving family members, shaking their hands and speaking to each family.

Reagan’s only other visit was a brief layover at Fort Campbell in July 1984 to change aircraft for a trip to Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, and Beech Bend as part of an inspection of national park improvements.

Lyndon Johnson: Wartime troop review, speech

President Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson made a wartime visit to Fort Campbell in July 1966 to spend time with soldiers wounded in Vietnam, give a 20-minute speech, conduct a 6,000-soldier troop review and inspect weapons captured from North Vietnamese soldiers.

Johnson’s was the first presidential visit to Fort Campbell, according to available records.

Harry S. Truman: Visits that almost happened

In June 1950, The Leaf-Chronicle announced with a lead Page One headline that President Harry S. Truman was planning a trip to Clarksville. The visit had been arranged over breakfast with Mayor William Kleeman, who had remained friends with Truman after they served in the same unit in World War I. The mayor’s hope was for Truman to give a speech at Municipal Auditorium in Clarksville. Truman indeed visited Tennessee, but he skipped Clarksville and went to Tullahoma to dedicate an engineering center.

A few years earlier, apparently, there had been a plan for Truman to visit Clarksville, then he and Kleeman would go fishing together at Reelfoot Lake. But instead of coming to Clarksville, Truman went directly to Reelfoot, where Kleeman joined him.

Sources: Clarksville Now, Leaf-Chronicle, U.S. Army, White House archives