Fact Check: "Donald Trump is one of top 3 worst U.S. Presidents"
What We Know
Surveys conducted by historians and political scientists consistently rank Donald Trump among the worst U.S. presidents. According to a comprehensive review of historical rankings, Trump has been placed at the bottom of various surveys since he left office. For instance, the 2021 C-SPAN survey ranked him as the fourth worst president, while a more recent survey in 2024 placed him last with a score of 10.92 out of 100, indicating a significant decline in perception among scholars (source-1).
In a survey conducted by the American Political Science Association, Trump was ranked as the worst president, with historians noting that he was the most polarizing figure among all ranked presidents (source-2). This sentiment is echoed in multiple polls, including the Siena College Research Institute's survey, which consistently places Trump among the bottom three presidents alongside James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson (source-1).
Analysis
The claim that Donald Trump is one of the top three worst U.S. presidents is supported by a variety of scholarly surveys and public opinion polls. The historical rankings are based on assessments of leadership qualities, accomplishments, and failures, with Trump consistently receiving low marks across these categories. For example, in the 2022 Siena poll, Trump was ranked last, while the top three positions were held by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington (source-1).
Critically, the reliability of these sources is bolstered by their academic nature, as they involve input from historians and political scientists who specialize in presidential studies. The methodologies used in these surveys typically include a range of attributes and characteristics, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of each president's performance. However, it is important to note that rankings can vary based on the political leanings of the respondents, which may introduce some bias (source-2).
Despite this potential bias, the overwhelming consensus among historians places Trump in the bottom tier of U.S. presidents. The consistent results across multiple surveys lend credibility to the assertion that he is indeed one of the worst presidents in American history.
Conclusion
Verdict: True
The claim that Donald Trump is one of the top three worst U.S. presidents is substantiated by a multitude of historical rankings and surveys conducted by reputable scholars. The evidence indicates that Trump consistently ranks at or near the bottom in assessments of presidential effectiveness, leadership, and public perception.
Sources
- Historical rankings of presidents of the United States - Wikipedia
- Donald Trump Ranked Worst U.S. President, with Biden in 14th Place
- Presidents ranked from worst to best - CBS News
- The 10 Worst Presidents | Politics | US News
- Ranking America's Worst Presidents - U.S. News & World Report
- 2021 Presidential Historians Survey
