Donald trump is the worst president ever

1. Rankings that matter: scholarly surveys put Trump at the bottom

Multiple academic and expert surveys cited in current reporting list Trump among the worst—and in at least one 2024/2025 survey, ranked him dead last with roughly a 10.9–10.92 score out of 100—placing him below historically reviled presidencies such as Buchanan and Johnson ^{[1] [2] [6]}. These rankings come from aggregations of presidential scholars and organized projects that apply criteria such as leadership, accomplishments, crisis management and democratic stewardship ^{[1] [7]}.

2. What critics emphasize: law, norms and institutional damage

Advocacy groups and commentators argue Trump’s record shows deliberate assaults on democratic norms: alleged misuse of public office, attempts to politicize law enforcement and the civil service, attacks on the press and actions they say weaken the rule of law—claims laid out as central to the case that his presidency is uniquely harmful ^{[3] [4]}. Opinion pieces in outlets such as The Guardian and organizations like Democracy21 frame his behavior as authoritarian and corrosive to institutions ^{[3] [4]}.

3. Policy and performance: mixed appraisals and contested legacy

Analysts acknowledge policy outcomes that supporters point to—tax cuts, deregulation, Operation Warp Speed’s role in vaccine development—while arguing these do not offset broader harms in governance and democratic practice ^[7]. Durham University and other academic commentaries note Trump enacted policies popular with his base but failed to produce a unifying or lasting governing legacy, which complicates a simple “worst-ever” label ^[7].

4. Public opinion and political warfare: “worst” as partisan weapon

Partisan actors use “worst president” rhetoric both ways: Democrats and some opinion writers use surveys and editorial judgments to brand Trump the worst, while Trump and his allies fire back by labeling rivals (notably Joe Biden) the worst and contesting poll framing and media narratives ^{[5] [8]}. Contemporary coverage shows the term functions in political combat as much as in measured historical ranking ^{[5] [8]}.

5. Media verdicts and moral condemnation: strong language, varying bases

Major opinion pieces and think-tank commentaries employ forceful language—calling his term “the worst” or “the most lawless and authoritarian”—but they differ in grounding: some base the claim on institutional threats and norms erosion, others on concrete failures or scandals ^{[4] [3]}. The sources show unanimity in alarm among critics but divergence on which failures are decisive.

6. Methodology matters: why rankings diverge and why context changes verdicts

Scholarly surveys weight different factors (policy accomplishments, crisis leadership, moral leadership, democratic norms). Rankings also shift as time provides more perspective; for instance, some earlier polls placed Trump lower among recent presidents but not necessarily last overall, while the 2024/2025 Presidential Greatness Project placed him at the bottom after adding new respondents and updated criteria ^{[1] [2]}. Durham University notes that time and further research could change assessments as long-term effects become clear ^[7].

7. Counterarguments and the limits of current reporting

Supporters and some conservative commentators emphasize economic indicators, deregulation, and judicial appointments as counterweights; those perspectives appear in partisan outlets and statements cited by critics’ opponents ^[5]. Available sources do not offer a sustained, peer-reviewed defense that decisively rebuts the institutional and norm-based critiques; nor do the provided materials include long-term comparative studies that could settle a “worst ever” judgment conclusively (not found in current reporting).

8. Bottom line for readers: a contested but evidence-backed claim

Calling Donald Trump “the worst president ever” is supported by multiple scholarly rankings and strong critical commentary that document scores around 10.9/100 and allege systemic harms to democratic institutions ^{[1] [2] [3]}. However, the claim remains contested: policy-supporting arguments and partisan counterclaims persist, and historical consensus typically evolves with time and wider scholarly debate ^{[7] [5]}. Readers should treat “worst ever” as a judgment grounded in specific metrics and critiques—well-supported in current expert surveys—but not an uncontested or permanent verdict given competing metrics and partisan disagreement ^{[1] [7] [5]}.