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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy "Trump Is The Worst POTUS Ever" Is Not Hyperbole
It is mainly because Donald Trump has violated many norms that presidents of both parties have usually upheld as sacrosanct. A survey of historians at https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-places-last-new-presidential-greatness-rankings-1871043 found that in Trump's FIRST term, he ranked as the worst. Meanwhile, Abraham Lincoln ranked number one, and Biden and Reagan both were around tenth place. Looking at the list, it is somewhat clear that there isn't a partisan bias here based on the history.
He has violated many laws. He was caught giving deals to billionaires. He has done many things that if it was me or you doing it, you would be in prison forever, such as stealing many classified documents and potentially selling them, when presidents must give up that clearance and obtain a modified ex-presidential clearance. He was convicted of hiding details on hush money. Even though I don't think it decided 2016 because he won with the Access Hollywood tapes, it still shows his character.
Another glaring example is his destruction of the idea of being a president for everybody, something that Presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden have said both on the campaign trail and in office. Trump has taken action against Democratic-leaning states. An example was in central California during his first term, there were wildfires, and they needed to tell him that it was a part of the state that voted for him before he agreed to send aid.
When it comes to elections, the attack on January 6 in 2021 was inconceivable for any other president, and still would be for any Democratic vice president, as was seen with the 2024 certification of Kamala Harris's own loss going smoothly with zero disruptions. This is an example of the Trumpist idea "Fight Fight Fight!", which means to get what you want by any means necessary, even if it means disrupting centuries of norms.
yourout
(8,908 posts)Basically set the table for every bad thing that's happened since then.
unblock
(56,308 posts)All that was baked in before he took office and he had effectively nothing to do with it other than to launch the toxic over-concentration of wealth ever.
Any president would be wildly popular with that backdrop.
The Roux Comes First
(2,423 posts)To cheat their way to the presidency, as was done for Bush and the orange felon.
Cha
(321,451 posts)would never think it's "hyperbole".
Glad it's getting out there, though
The magnitude of the corruption is so far beyond the wildest, greedy dreams of Warren G. Harding and the Ohio gang it is staggering.
And then there's the unconstitutional "remaking" of the executive branch with every action -- every single f-ing action -- directly doing harm to "We the People" -- with the cruelest changes targeting the most vulnerable.
If some future president exceeds these crimes against us... I just can't imagine.
Cha
(321,451 posts)They're not done yet.
As Simon Rosenberg asked, imagine this is the beginning of the End for them.
TY for that pat_k!
Tonsilstonews
(1 post)And Liz Cheney and others were considered the irredeemable to many.
But I'm sure down the road we'll see something similar to this again.
Link to tweet
sarisataka
(22,982 posts)What user name(s) do you plan to use next?