# Is Trump going to be remembered more fondly decades after he leaves office? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 19, 2018, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810 "2018-11-19T18:54:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/121 "2018-11-28T13:38:44Z")
Say what you will about Trump, at least he made the trains not run on time: > **[Trump's 2019 Budget Slashes Amtrak Rail Subsidies](https://fortune.com/2018/02/12/amtrak-funding-cut-trump-spending-plan/)** > > President Donald Trump's budget proposal released proposes slashing the federal subsidy for Amtrak passenger rail service by nearly half. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/122 "2018-11-29T01:46:45Z")
ISTM Trump will ultimately be seen as just an emblem of his time, but that the people who put him in office will be the ones whom history will ultimately revile. Trump only stirred up the racial and economic fears and general appetite for entertaining simplemindedness that got him elected; but the blame will go to the fearful and simpleminded, and to a lesser degree on those of us who didn’t do enough to stop them. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/123 "2018-11-29T20:42:36Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > I don’t know about “fondly”, but through the dispassionate lens of history I think he’ll be seen as far less catastrophic. “Fondly” might not have been the best term for the OP, but I’m sure people will not feel as strongly about Trump decades from now as they do now - just like people today feel much less fear about smallpox than those of a century ago. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/124 "2018-11-30T04:29:09Z")
Comedy writers may remember him fondly. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/125 "2018-12-05T23:16:18Z")
I just had a conversation about this with some people the other night. What I pointed out, was that whether or not he’s remembered “fondly” depends on two things: how good or bad his successor is, and whether or not Trump can get through his whole administration without starting a war. If Trump does not start a war, and whatever president comes after him DOES start a war, like another W. Bush administration, I guarantee that people will be saying about Trump, “well, at least he didn’t start a war.” It’s not exactly remembering him “fondly”, but if 10 years from now we are entangled in another foreign policy disaster in the Middle East and American troops are dying in substantial numbers, people WILL talk about the “restraint” that Trump exercised in his foreign policy. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/126 "2018-12-06T11:17:54Z")
I think, for me, he will be remembered in the “Thank fuck he’s no longer president.” sense. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Voice\_Of\_Reason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9e8a1a/32.png) [@The\_Voice\_Of\_Reason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Voice_Of_Reason)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/127 "2018-12-06T11:51:31Z")
I think it depends on how he leaves office. If he simply completes his term and loses in 2020 he will be remember as this crazy nut job with a loyal base of supporters. If he is thrown out of office in disgrace he will be remembers much differently, and that’s why i hope it happens. Most of us know of President Andrew Johnson and the only reason we know a President from 150 years ago is that he was impeached. I want the same legacy for Donald Trump. I want the history books to show he was the first President thrown out on his ass because he was a corrupt POS. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/128 "2018-12-06T13:38:33Z")
> [@The\_Voice\_Of\_Reason](#): > > I think it depends on how he leaves office. If he simply completes his term and loses in 2020 he will be remember as this crazy nut job with a loyal base of supporters. If he is thrown out of office in disgrace he will be remembers much differently, and that’s why i hope it happens. Most of us know of President Andrew Johnson and the only reason we know a President from 150 years ago is that he was impeached. > > I want the same legacy for Donald Trump. I want the history books to show he was the first President thrown out on his ass because he was a corrupt POS. That still will not be enough. What we really need to learn is how easily someone can get into the Oval Office simply by manipulating the stupidity of a certain portion of the country. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/129 "2018-12-06T13:48:52Z")
> [@The\_Voice\_Of\_Reason](#): > > I want the same legacy for Donald Trump. I want the history books to show he was the first President thrown out on his ass because he was a corrupt POS. That’s what I’d like, too, but would settle for him being the first president to serve prison time after leaving office. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/130 "2018-12-06T17:36:59Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > “Fondly” might not have been the best term for the OP, but I’m sure people will not feel as strongly about Trump decades from now as they do now - just like people today feel much less fear about smallpox than those of a century ago. This would make a great re-election slogan. TRUMP - No Scarier Than Smallpox ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2018, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/131 "2018-12-07T04:14:47Z")
Margaret Thatcher is still despised by anyone who isn’t a terrible person, and her death brought out a hearty cry of “good riddance” from people who would not normally celebrate the death of an enemy. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2018, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/132 "2018-12-07T06:21:44Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > Margaret Thatcher is still despised by anyone who isn’t a terrible person, and her death brought out a hearty cry of “good riddance” from people who would not normally celebrate the death of an enemy. I am not a terrible person and I dont and didnt despise her, and in fact I know many who grudgingly admired her- for SOME things. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/133 "2018-12-08T00:46:24Z")
He will only be remembered “fondly” if someone worse comes along and that is hard to imagine. People forget that Kaiser Wilhelm of WWI infamy was held in very low regard. Then Hitler came along and it was the best thing that ever happened to Wilhelm’s lousy reputation. He was replaced by an even worse boogeyman. By this reckoning the best thing that ever happened to George W. Bush is Donald Trump. Bush could have gone decades as one of the worst president’s in US history. Now people remember him as kind of ok(ish) because Trump is just so much worse. The bar has been lowered. Of course saying we probably can’t get someone worse than Trump reminds me of thinking we probably can’t have gotten someone worse than Bush. But here we are so never say never. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2018, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/134 "2018-12-08T01:15:05Z")
Trump will certainly be recalled fondly by teachers of psychology who will have a solid example of a person suffering the Dunning-Kruger effect and how such people behave as managers and administrators, ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2018, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/135 "2018-12-08T01:37:08Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Trump will certainly be recalled fondly by teachers of psychology who will have a solid example of a person suffering the Dunning-Kruger effect and how such people behave as managers and administrators, He’ll also be Case Study #1 for narcissism. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/136 "2018-12-08T04:00:16Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > As for “His chaotic NY-real-estate-developer style may well be exactly what is needed in international negotiation at present and doesn’t appear to have done any harm,” I believe he _has_ done harm that will take a generation or longer to repair. The UK, France, Germany, hell even Canada – \*\*any of our allies \*\*-- are now viewing any agreements this country makes as being in force only until the next administration is in place. I’d bet those in power now will have to be long dead before that perception changes. You’re assuming the US still has allies. I’m not so sure. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2018, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/137 "2018-12-08T14:06:42Z")
Maybe the deepest long-term repercussion will be that the civilized world will no longer have confidence in the American people to elect responsible adult leaders. The President will not necessarily be seen as the Leader of the Free World anymore (if that term still has meaning). International agreements and their structure will no longer be seen as mutual commitments past the next election. Again, Trump is just a symptom, not the disease, and I’m pretty sure most of the non-infected in all countries know it. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/138 "2018-12-08T18:32:39Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > “Well, you see, child, we were all taking a substance known as ‘meth’…” It’s worthwhile to note that an entire generation has been lead poisoned from birth, and that’s who’s mostly holding power right now. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2018, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810/139 "2018-12-10T03:22:16Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > I have often wondered, if Trump was needed to make W look better, who will be needed for Trump to have a similar rehabilitation? Who, in other words, is Trump’s Trump? > Some KKK leader maybe? Nm. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-going-to-be-remembered-more-fondly-decades-after-he-leaves-office/824810.md?page=6)