In his second term, President Trump has increasingly compared himself to past presidents. He often contrasts his achievements with their failures.
Trump has long criticized his immediate predecessors. His comments about former presidents Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Barack Obama often include personal insults and negative interpretations of their legacies.
Recently, Trump has expanded his focus to include more distant figures in American history. He frequently aligns himself with the successes of past leaders. He also insists he would not repeat their mistakes.
Trump is ‘a one-man Sousa Band of trying to put down other presidents or attach himself to the greatness of George Washington or Theodore Roosevelt or Andrew Jackson,’ stated Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University.
The New York Times reviewed Trump’s remarks about ten former presidents. This review offers insight into how Trump perceives his place in historical context.
16th President: Abraham Lincoln
Trump quoted, ‘The people that make the biggest impact, they’re the ones that they go after,’ during an April 25 news conference at the White House.
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