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Is Donald Trump the greatest President of all time
Executive summary
Assessments of whether Donald Trump is "the greatest President of all time" vary sharply by audience and metric; scholarly historical rankings place him near the bottom (e.g., last in a recent scholarly survey), while some contemporary opinion polls show strong partisan favorability within the 21st century or high approval among his base [1] [2]. Current polling averages show his net approval negative or well below traditional historical highs for widely admired presidents, with second‑term averages near the low‑to‑mid 40s in many trackers [3] [4] [5].
1. What historians say: institutional surveys and academic rankings
Scholarly, multi‑decade rankings of U.S. presidents — the standard yardstick used by historians — consistently place figures like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt at the top and rank Donald Trump near the bottom; a recent Siena/Scholars poll placed Trump in the last position, grouping him with Andrew Johnson and James Buchanan among the lowest‑rated presidents [1]. These academic surveys emphasize long‑term impacts, respect for institutional norms and historical legacy rather than short‑term popularity [1].
2. What the polls say: popularity vs. greatness
Public opinion trackers show a more mixed picture. Aggregators and outlets such as Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin, The New York Times polling averages and RealClearPolitics record Trump’s approval fluctuating around the low‑to‑mid 40s in many recent windows, often with net negative ratings (approve vs. disapprove) and with second‑term averages that remain below many recent presidents’ historical peaks [3] [4] [6]. Single polls or partisan‑leaning surveys can show much higher favorability — for example, a Quantus poll reported Trump as the second‑most popular 21st‑century president in that sample — but that poll was sponsored or rated as Republican‑leaning, illustrating how methodology and sponsorship affect results [2].
3. Why “greatest” is a contested yardstick
“Greatest president” is not a single objective metric; historians prioritize constitutional stewardship, crisis leadership and long‑term institutional effects, while public polls reflect current approval or partisan loyalty. The Siena scholarly ranking — emphasizing norms and long‑term appraisal — scored Trump very low [1], whereas contemporary partisan polling highlights his durable base and electoral success [2]. Different audiences therefore produce competing answers: historians and many scholars give one verdict; segments of the public and some pollsters provide another [1] [2].
4. Approval over time: peaks, troughs and second‑term patterns
Polling aggregators show Trump’s approval has moved over time: he started his second term with higher approval in some trackers but later declined, with recent snapshots showing approval in the high 30s to low 40s and disapproval often outnumbering approval [4] [5]. Analysts note his second‑term approval average sits around the low‑to‑mid 40s — comparable to some modern presidents but below the sustained high marks of historically top‑ranked presidents [5] [7].
5. International reputation and policy outcomes
On foreign‑affairs perceptions, cross‑national polling found Trump’s 2025 global ratings trail those of Joe Biden’s 2024 ratings on average, showing weaker confidence abroad even as he performs well with certain right‑wing parties in Europe — a reminder that “greatness” by domestic applause doesn’t translate uniformly overseas [8]. Available sources do not mention a comprehensive, source‑by‑source tally of every major policy outcome used to claim “greatest,” so those specific policy claims are not evaluated here (not found in current reporting).
6. Competing narratives and motivations to watch for
Proponents call Trump “great” based on electoral success, base loyalty, economic or policy claims promoted on his platforms; critics and many historians point to institutional norms, legal controversies and long‑term harms as disqualifiers [2] [1]. Note the potential agenda of poll sponsors: some polls with favorable results are produced or promoted by partisan outlets, while academic rankings aim for historical distance [2] [1].
7. Bottom line for readers deciding “greatest”
If your standard is historical consensus and scholarly judgment about long‑term legacy and institutional stewardship, current scholarly rankings do not support calling Trump the greatest president [1]. If your standard is contemporary partisan popularity, electoral success and devotion among a large voting bloc, some polls and partisan surveys highlight strong claims in his favor — but those are highly dependent on which polls you trust and how you weigh methodology [2] [3].
Limitations: this analysis uses public opinion aggregates, a recent scholarly ranking, and selective polls provided in the supplied reporting; it does not attempt a full policy‑by‑policy or long‑term outcomes audit because available sources here do not provide that comprehensive treatment (not found in current reporting).