How does Donald Trump's moral standing compare to other US presidents?

1. Public ratings: Trump near the bottom on ethics and moral authority

Public-opinion polling and expert surveys paint a consistent picture: Gallup reports that Americans rate Trump worse on ethics than most modern presidents, noting Barack Obama and Bill Clinton hold measurable advantages and that Nixon is the closest analog to Trump in public perception ^[1]. A historians’ ranking cited by Truthout placed Trump dead last on the specific metric of “Moral Authority,” with a score far below predecessors such as Obama, Lincoln, Washington and FDR ^[2].

2. Partisan split: Many Republicans see Trump as morally strong

Those negative assessments are not unanimous. Pew Research finds stark partisan divergence: substantial shares of Republicans say Trump has set a high moral standard for the presidency—63% in 2025, up from lower figures in 2019—while Democrats and independents are far more likely to view his use of the office as improper ^[3]. The divide shows moral evaluations map closely onto political identity, not only to specific acts.

3. Why critics cite low moral standing: conduct, pardons, and rhetoric

Analysts and opinion writers point to concrete behaviors as the basis for low moral ratings: The Atlantic argues Trump’s pardons, self-dealing style, public lies and treatment of the presidency as personal property have eroded shared moral norms ^[4]. Other critics highlight policy choices and public threats—such as actions affecting SNAP benefits during a shutdown—as evidence of diminished moral authority for the office ^[5].

4. Why supporters defend him: outcomes, imperfection, and instrumental morality

Defenders explain that presidents need not model personal perfection to deliver policy outcomes, invoking traditions that accept imperfect leaders acting for perceived goods; scholars note some evangelical and conservative supporters frame Trump as an “imperfect vessel” whose results justify moral compromises ^{[6] [7]}. Academic work on moral courage within the GOP also shows some Republicans judged standing up to Trump as an ethical act—underscoring competing moral frameworks inside his party ^{[8] [9]}.

5. Historical comparisons are complicated: different metrics, eras and voters

Comparing moral standing across presidents hinges on which metric you use—public opinion, historian surveys, or moral-philosophical standards—and the contexts differ: wartime leaders, slaveholders and those who engaged in deception (e.g., Washington’s strategic falsehoods) test any uniform scale ^{[10] [6]}. The Conversation and Harvard Kennedy School work highlight that moral judgments about presidents often conflate words and outcomes, and that reasonable scholars disagree on whether results or personal virtue matter more ^{[7] [10]}.

6. Records and allegations: a long list of contested behaviors

Compilations of allegations and legal findings against Trump—ranging from lawsuits and charity settlements to claims about payments and tax issues—feed judgments about his ethics; one repository lists lawsuits, tax liens, and court orders as evidence critics cite ^[11]. Where such items are described in reporting and surveys, they help explain why many rate his moral authority poorly ^{[1] [2]}.

7. What the evidence does and does not show

Available sources show broad negative evaluations by many Americans and historians, while also documenting robust partisan defenses; they do not, however, establish a single objective moral ranking that all scholars accept. Sources do not present a unanimous canonical metric to declare an absolute “most” or “least” moral president beyond the surveys cited ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

8. Bottom line for readers

If you weigh public-opinion and historian surveys, Trump ranks low on moral authority compared with recent presidents ^{[1] [2]}. If you prioritize partisan loyalty and instrumental outcomes, many Republicans consider his moral standing high despite the allegations and critiques ^{[3] [4]}. The debate hinges on whether moral leadership is about personal virtue, adherence to norms and law, or results—and current reporting documents deep disagreement on which standard should prevail ^{[10] [7]}.