Donald Trump posted a ranking of US presidents to Truth Social last Thursday, placing himself alone in the “greatest” category while labeling Joe Biden, Jimmy Carter, and Barack Obama as “failures.” The self-published assessment diverges from academic surveys that consistently rank him near the bottom of presidential historical evaluations.

The ranking separated US presidents into six categories ranging from “greatest” to “failures.” Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt, and George Washington were placed in the great category. Theodore Roosevelt and Grover Cleveland were placed in the near great category, while Bill Clinton was placed in the average category.

Academic assessments present a contrast to Trump's self-evaluation. The Presidential Greatness Project survey ranked Donald Trump last among 45 US presidents. The survey polled 154 academics and asked them to rank each of the 45 presidents on a scale from 0 to 100. Abraham Lincoln received an average rating of 93.87, while Donald Trump received a rating of 10.92.

"It’s not consistent with the findings of the surveys we’ve conducted," said Justin Vaughn, a political science professor at Coastal Carolina University and co-creator of the Presidential Greatness Project. He noted that Republican respondents in the survey also view Donald Trump poorly. "It’s also not consistent with other surveys that have been conducted over the last several years," Vaughn said.

Barbara Perry, a professor in presidential studies at the University of Virginia, offered a similar assessment of the scholarly consensus. "In no universe of scholars, I believe, would Donald Trump be in the ‘great’ category, the ‘greatest’ category, ‘near great’ category," she said. She cited specific actions during his tenure as factors influencing these evaluations. "My view as a scholar and a constitutional historian would be that his promotion of the insurrection of January 6, and his continuation of perpetuating this view that Joe Biden stole the election: that is undermining the American constitutional system, the rule of law," Perry said.

The White House defended the president's record against these academic critiques. "President Trump is solely focused on fighting every day to deliver the strong, safe, and prosperous country that we all deserve," said Davis Ingle, a White House spokesperson. "The only legacy President Trump is concerned with is making America greater than ever before," Ingle said.

Other historical polls have produced similar results to the Presidential Greatness Project. A 2022 Siena University poll of 141 presidential scholars ranked Donald Trump third-to-last among US presidents. In the poll, Donald Trump ranked higher than James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson.

However, the poll ranked Donald Trump 45th out of 45 in the “integrity” category and 45th out of 45 in the “intelligence” category. Donald Trump was impeached during his presidency and was convicted of felonies related to hush-money payments.

Why It Matters

The divergence between Trump's self-ranking and academic surveys reflects the polarization in assessing presidential legacy. While Trump places himself in the highest tier, scholars argue this is inconsistent with data from rigorous academic surveys. The Presidential Greatness Project and Siena University polls rely on expert analysis of presidential performance, integrity, and intelligence, areas where Trump has received low marks.

This event fits a pattern of Trump engaging with media and public perception through direct channels. Research titled "Donald Trump tweeted himself into the White House" was published in a year prior to the 2020 election, and research titled "Donald Trump blames everyone but himself for the coronavirus crisis. Will voters agree?" was published in 2020.

A study titled Fascism-lite in America (or The Social Ideal of Donald Trump) was published in a year prior to the 2020 election in British Journal of American Legal Studies. These works examine how Trump's communication style and self-presentation influence political discourse and public opinion.

Timeline

In 1948, the image used in Donald Trump's post appears to be adapted from a 1948 Life magazine article by historian Arthur M Schlesinger Jr. The original 1948 Life magazine article did not include a “greatest” category. Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and both Presidents Bush are absent from the ranking image adapted from the 1948 Life magazine article.

What's New

Additional context includes research titled Donald Trump tweeted himself into the White House was published in a year prior to the 2020 election. Research titled Donald Trump blames everyone but himself for the coronavirus crisis. Will voters agree? Was published in 2020.