Donald Trump is, by far, the worst president of the United States in its 246 years of existence. All of the living presidents have pretty much said so. So have most legitimate historians and scholars of the presidency. But what would have those who served long ago as president think of the person who has become so reviled as the worst in their ranks? Some of America’s past presidents were no shrinking violets when it came to tossing barbs at those they despised. From Dwight Eisenhower’s dislike of Senator Joseph McCarthy to Thomas Jefferson’s contempt for John Adams, past presidents let it be known, in no uncertain terms, what they thought of their adversaries. Therefore, in examining the historical record, it can be deduced what past presidents would have thought of and said about president number 45.
Abraham Lincoln might have used this barb for Trump’s bogus charge that the 2020 election was stolen: “It is as thin as the homeopathic soup that was made by boiling the shadow of a pigeon that had been starved to death.” And to Trump’s constant braggadocio: “What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.”
Harry Truman would have said of Trump: “He’s a no-good lying bastard” and “anyone who voted for him ought to go to hell.”
Thomas Jefferson would have unleashed the following broadside on Trump: “A blind, bald, crippled, toothless man who is a hideous hermaphroditic character with neither the force and fitness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.”
Theodore Roosevelt would have said of Trump: “A flub-dub with a streak of the second rate and common in him.”
John Tyler on Trump’s violation of the constitutional oath of office: “This Constitution was not made for a day, nor is it composed of such flexible materials as to be warped to the purposes of a casually ascendant influence.”
Dwight Eisenhower on 45: “He’s a pimple on the path of progress.”
James Monroe on Trump’s real estate construction prowess: “I am not aware that he has ever exhibited much skill as a builder.”
Benjamin Harrison: “What saddens me most is that some poor woman out there has to be his wife. And his three children — oh, his poor three children. What a despicable human being this guy is.”
On Trump’s lack of intellect, Lyndon Johnson would have said of 45: “He’s so dumb that he can’t fart and chew gum at the same time.”
Woodrow Wilson, also speaking of Trump’s stupidity: “He has a bungalow mind.”
Grover Cleveland on Trump’s January 6th insurrection: “The ship of democracy, which has weathered all storms, may sink through the mutiny of those on board.”
Herbert Hoover on Trump’s grievance about being denied free speech: “It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own.”
Andrew Jackson on threats by Trump loyalists to secede from the United States: “If you secede from my nation I will secede your head from the rest of your body.”
Gerald Ford on Trump’s politics: “Never again must America allow an arrogant, elite guard of political adolescents to by-pass the regular party organization and dictate the terms of a national election.”
William Henry Harrison on Trump’s attempt to overturn constitutional governance: “There is nothing more corrupting, nothing more destructive of the noblest and finest feelings of our nature, than the exercise of unlimited power.”
Richard Nixon on Trump: “He just isn’t pleasant to be around. He’s just an uncomfortable man to be around.”
James K. Polk on Trump’s bogus embrace of Christianity: “I cannot adequately express the horror I feel for a man who can be so base as to veil his hypocrisy under the cloak of religion, and state the base falsehood he has done.”
Warren G. Harding on Trump’s fitness for office: “His mental state is comparable to that of a Peruvian Indian, well stoked on coca leaves.”
Ulysses Grant on Trump’s false religiosity: “Leave the matter of religion to the family altar, the church, and the private school, supported entirely by private contributions. Keep the church and state forever separate.
John Quincy Adams on Trump: “A barbarian who cannot write a sentence of grammar and can hardly spell his own name.”
His father, John Adams, would have said of 45: “He’s a mutton head.”
John F. Kennedy on Trump: “He’s a silly bastard! I wouldn’t have him running a cathouse!”
Martin Van Buren on Trump’s misuse of taxpayers’ money: “The application of public money by an officer of Government to private uses should be made a felony and visited with severe and ignominious punishment.”
William Howard Taft on Trump: “Don’t vote for that honeyfuggler.”
Herbert Hoover on Trump’s lack of moral bearing: “He’s a chameleon on plaid.”
Rutherford Hayes on Trump’s nepotism: “No person connected with the president by blood or marriage should be appointed to office.”
James Monroe to Trump: “You are a scoundrel.”
Franklin Roosevelt on Trump’s legal troubles: “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
Ronald Reagan on Trump’s foreign policy: “Our allies are losing confidence in us, and our adversaries no longer respect us.”
Now, here is what past presidents actually said about Donald Trump:
Barack Obama: “He’s a madman, a fucking lunatic.”
George W. Bush on Trump’s inaugural speech: “That was some weird shit.”
Bill Clinton on Trump’s daily schedule as president: “He’s spending hours a day watching TV and zapping people on social media.”
George H. W. Bush on Trump: “I don’t like him. I don’t know much about him, but I know he’s a blowhard. And I’m not too excited about him being a leader.”
Jimmy Carter on Trump’s presidency: “He was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf.”
Joe Biden on discovering Trump’s golf toys in the White House: “What a fucking asshole!”
Wayne Madsen is a Washington, DC-based investigative journalist, author and nationally-distributed columnist. A member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the National Press Club. He is the editor and publisher of the Wayne Madsen Report (subscription required).
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What would past presidents say of Trump?
Posted on August 9, 2022 by Wayne Madsen
Donald Trump is, by far, the worst president of the United States in its 246 years of existence. All of the living presidents have pretty much said so. So have most legitimate historians and scholars of the presidency. But what would have those who served long ago as president think of the person who has become so reviled as the worst in their ranks? Some of America’s past presidents were no shrinking violets when it came to tossing barbs at those they despised. From Dwight Eisenhower’s dislike of Senator Joseph McCarthy to Thomas Jefferson’s contempt for John Adams, past presidents let it be known, in no uncertain terms, what they thought of their adversaries. Therefore, in examining the historical record, it can be deduced what past presidents would have thought of and said about president number 45.
Abraham Lincoln might have used this barb for Trump’s bogus charge that the 2020 election was stolen: “It is as thin as the homeopathic soup that was made by boiling the shadow of a pigeon that had been starved to death.” And to Trump’s constant braggadocio: “What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.”
Harry Truman would have said of Trump: “He’s a no-good lying bastard” and “anyone who voted for him ought to go to hell.”
Thomas Jefferson would have unleashed the following broadside on Trump: “A blind, bald, crippled, toothless man who is a hideous hermaphroditic character with neither the force and fitness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.”
Theodore Roosevelt would have said of Trump: “A flub-dub with a streak of the second rate and common in him.”
John Tyler on Trump’s violation of the constitutional oath of office: “This Constitution was not made for a day, nor is it composed of such flexible materials as to be warped to the purposes of a casually ascendant influence.”
Dwight Eisenhower on 45: “He’s a pimple on the path of progress.”
James Monroe on Trump’s real estate construction prowess: “I am not aware that he has ever exhibited much skill as a builder.”
Benjamin Harrison: “What saddens me most is that some poor woman out there has to be his wife. And his three children — oh, his poor three children. What a despicable human being this guy is.”
On Trump’s lack of intellect, Lyndon Johnson would have said of 45: “He’s so dumb that he can’t fart and chew gum at the same time.”
Woodrow Wilson, also speaking of Trump’s stupidity: “He has a bungalow mind.”
Grover Cleveland on Trump’s January 6th insurrection: “The ship of democracy, which has weathered all storms, may sink through the mutiny of those on board.”
Herbert Hoover on Trump’s grievance about being denied free speech: “It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own.”
Andrew Jackson on threats by Trump loyalists to secede from the United States: “If you secede from my nation I will secede your head from the rest of your body.”
Gerald Ford on Trump’s politics: “Never again must America allow an arrogant, elite guard of political adolescents to by-pass the regular party organization and dictate the terms of a national election.”
William Henry Harrison on Trump’s attempt to overturn constitutional governance: “There is nothing more corrupting, nothing more destructive of the noblest and finest feelings of our nature, than the exercise of unlimited power.”
Richard Nixon on Trump: “He just isn’t pleasant to be around. He’s just an uncomfortable man to be around.”
James K. Polk on Trump’s bogus embrace of Christianity: “I cannot adequately express the horror I feel for a man who can be so base as to veil his hypocrisy under the cloak of religion, and state the base falsehood he has done.”
Warren G. Harding on Trump’s fitness for office: “His mental state is comparable to that of a Peruvian Indian, well stoked on coca leaves.”
Ulysses Grant on Trump’s false religiosity: “Leave the matter of religion to the family altar, the church, and the private school, supported entirely by private contributions. Keep the church and state forever separate.
John Quincy Adams on Trump: “A barbarian who cannot write a sentence of grammar and can hardly spell his own name.”
His father, John Adams, would have said of 45: “He’s a mutton head.”
John F. Kennedy on Trump: “He’s a silly bastard! I wouldn’t have him running a cathouse!”
Martin Van Buren on Trump’s misuse of taxpayers’ money: “The application of public money by an officer of Government to private uses should be made a felony and visited with severe and ignominious punishment.”
William Howard Taft on Trump: “Don’t vote for that honeyfuggler.”
Herbert Hoover on Trump’s lack of moral bearing: “He’s a chameleon on plaid.”
Rutherford Hayes on Trump’s nepotism: “No person connected with the president by blood or marriage should be appointed to office.”
James Monroe to Trump: “You are a scoundrel.”
Franklin Roosevelt on Trump’s legal troubles: “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
Ronald Reagan on Trump’s foreign policy: “Our allies are losing confidence in us, and our adversaries no longer respect us.”
Now, here is what past presidents actually said about Donald Trump:
Barack Obama: “He’s a madman, a fucking lunatic.”
George W. Bush on Trump’s inaugural speech: “That was some weird shit.”
Bill Clinton on Trump’s daily schedule as president: “He’s spending hours a day watching TV and zapping people on social media.”
George H. W. Bush on Trump: “I don’t like him. I don’t know much about him, but I know he’s a blowhard. And I’m not too excited about him being a leader.”
Jimmy Carter on Trump’s presidency: “He was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf.”
Joe Biden on discovering Trump’s golf toys in the White House: “What a fucking asshole!”
Previously published in the Wayne Madsen Report.
Copyright © 2022 WayneMadenReport.com
Wayne Madsen is a Washington, DC-based investigative journalist, author and nationally-distributed columnist. A member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the National Press Club. He is the editor and publisher of the Wayne Madsen Report (subscription required).