# Trump Worst American President According to New York Times Poll of Experts **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 20, 2018, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167 "2018-02-20T03:42:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/21 "2018-02-20T16:25:41Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I would have ranked Reagan much lower and I would have ranked George HW Bush higher. I think Reagan was a disaster who ushered in an era of fiscal irresponsibility and I think George HW Bush doesn’t get enough credit for his handling of he dissolution of the Soviet Union (I say this as a lifelong Democrat). Had Bush the elder not given Gorbachev the space he needed, Bush could have very easily triggered a catastrophic backlash. But yeah, Trump has done catastrophic and permanent damage to the nation. I agree. George HW Bush was a great President in retrospect. He had it all. Eisenhower is probably the most underrated President among everyone one of them as well. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/22 "2018-02-20T16:42:27Z")
IMHO, I don’t see GHW Bush as great, but better than he gets credit for. Here’s my ranking of the presidents in my lifetime (a pretty dismal lot): Obama Clinton G.H.W. Bush Carter LBJ Ford Reagan Nixon G.W. Bush Trump ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/23 "2018-02-20T16:47:40Z")
The _New York Times_ disses Trump - imagine my surprise. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/24 "2018-02-20T17:19:55Z")
Gee, I wonder why they might rank Trump low. From the APSA website: > [@](#): > > The President’s 2018 Budget Blueprint released on March 16 proposes to eliminate federal funding for programs of critical importance to political science research and education, including the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The blueprint also identifies international education programs under the Department of Education for elimination or funding reductions. The American Political Science Association strongly opposes these cuts and reiterates its support for robust federal funding for the humanities and social sciences Hmm, Trump wanted to cut their funding and they rate Trump low. Wonder if there is a connection. Also, if you actually bother to look into this beyond "Hey, more people who don’t like TRUMP!!!?!!?!!’ you’d find that the APSA has way more than 170 members mentioned in the OP. In fact, the survey that the OP is talking about was given to 320 APSA members and 170 responses were received. Additionally, of those who responded, 57.2% were self described Democrats, 12.7% were Republicans and 27.1% were independents. Also note that the APSA has 12,000 members. In other words, the 170 people who responded to this don’t like Trump. I suspect they responded _because_ they don’t like Trump while the other 150 don’t give a damn about non-scientific polls. Slee I don’t like Trump much but this constant ‘Look, some other people who are smarter than you think Trump sucks’ stuff is getting stupid. Really, really stupid. Especially when it is an unscientific half-assed poll. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/25 "2018-02-20T17:24:15Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > I don’t like Trump much but this constant ‘Look, some other people who are smarter than you think Trump sucks’ stuff is getting stupid. Really, really stupid. Especially when it is an unscientific half-assed poll. I never tire of people (any people) trashing Trump for any reason. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/26 "2018-02-20T18:32:40Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The _New York Times_ disses Trump - imagine my surprise. > > Regards, > Shodan No, the American Political Science Association’s Presidents and Executive Politics section disses Trump, which the _New York Times_ reported. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/27 "2018-02-20T18:46:06Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I don’t agree with Obama being 8th. LBJ was a better president than he was. Obama didn’t fabricate a reason to escalate an unwinnable war. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/28 "2018-02-20T19:18:26Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > No, the American Political Science Association’s Presidents and Executive Politics section disses Trump, which the _New York Times_ reported. Thanks for pointing that out. I doubt that Shodan will be back to recant. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/29 "2018-02-20T19:38:22Z")
He is a garbage person and a garbage President and eventually will be one of the worst I am sure but it is premature to rank him now. Side note: not a fan of the rehabilitation of GWB/Chaney. Awful awful President/administration. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/30 "2018-02-20T20:12:46Z")
I’ve always pegged the guy as a sleazeball con-man for as far back as I can remember. A guy who would never pass up the opportunity to fuck you over for his own personal gain. I thought everyone knew this and had no idea there were people out there who actually admired this slime much less enough of them to vote for him for president. Apparently I was wrong. I’d like to think his true colors are showing and people wise up enough to cut his tenure short. But I’ll probably be wrong again and he’ll get second term by bullshitting everyone once more. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/31 "2018-02-20T20:37:07Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The _New York Times_ disses Trump - imagine my surprise. > > Regards, > Shodan Sure. Because he’s highly respected by the leadership of his party and the Republican news media sources and it’s just the lefties who diss him. Not. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/32 "2018-02-20T21:02:35Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > No, the American Political Science Association’s Presidents and Executive Politics section disses Trump, which the _New York Times_ reported. Well, 170 of them, and they were mostly Democrats already. Like I said, staggering news. And the _NYT_ would never stoop to cherry-picking to pat themselves on the back -no sirree. In other news, four out of five dentists recommend Trident gum for their patients who chew gum. And if it wasn’t true, you couldn’t say it on TV, or the op-ed page of the _New York Times_. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/33 "2018-02-20T21:09:01Z")
A lot of this depends on how you weigh motivation and goals vs accomplishments. Bush did worse things than Trump has so far. However, Trump tries to undermine American democracy on pretty much a daily basis. Trump has worse motivation than any president in a long time, but hasn’t lived up to it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/34 "2018-02-20T21:13:51Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, 170 of them, and they were mostly Democrats already. > > Like I said, staggering news. And the _NYT_ would never stoop to cherry-picking to pat themselves on the back -no sirree. > > In other news, four out of five dentists recommend Trident gum for their patients who chew gum. And if it wasn’t true, you couldn’t say it on TV, or the op-ed page of the _New York Times_. > > Regards, > Shodan Why does this bother you? Do you disagree that Trump is a disgusting human and terrible president? Does anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/35 "2018-02-20T21:18:09Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The _New York Times_ disses Trump - imagine my surprise. > > Regards, > Shodan Yeah, it ain’t exactly a surprise. In other news, people ain’t so fond of Al Capone, Stalin, Genghis Khan, Bernie Madoff, Charles Ponzi, or Jeffery Skilling, or Austrian watercolorists with penchants for politics. It turns out terrible people end up ranked last on lists of people. I guess it isn’t news, but it isn’t biased either. Or to put it another way, if Trump isn’t dead last on your lists of presidents, who ends up there? I mean, even if you supported Trump’s supposed agenda, how’s he doing on enacting that agenda? The problem is, even if you’re someone who wants what Trump is selling, Trump isn’t going to get it for you, any more than investing with Bernie Madoff made sense, even if you like money. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/36 "2018-02-20T21:22:25Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I think this can be chalked up partly to recency bias, but also cannot think of whom the historians \*would \*rank lower. I’m sort of a Historian - amateur and dilettante, but better read and educated than most people (with, of course, huge gaps in knowledge, History is HUGE). Back when GWB was President all my friends who are more liberal than I am would say “he’s the worst President ever!” And I would say “really? Cause Grant - hell of a General…LOUSY President. Buchanan? Didn’t really even try to stop the Civil War from happening. Harding - corrupt. Hoover - Coulton says it best 'screwed the pooch in the Great Depression…Nah, GWB will go down in History as a completely average President who didn’t step up in times of crisis, but generally speaking, didn’t make things worse.” I’m not disagreeing when they say Trump is the worst. I say “he seems to be giving Buchanan some competition.” ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/37 "2018-02-20T21:59:02Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, 170 of them, and they were mostly Democrats already. > > Like I said, staggering news. And the _NYT_ would never stoop to cherry-picking to pat themselves on the back -no sirree. > > In other news, four out of five dentists recommend Trident gum for their patients who chew gum. And if it wasn’t true, you couldn’t say it on TV, or the op-ed page of the _New York Times_. > > Regards, > Shodan You are making a convincing case that your bias would force you to question a NYT story that reads “Water is wet!” but you haven’t provided any reason to believe that Trump isn’t the worst President. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/38 "2018-02-20T22:25:01Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, 170 of them, and they were mostly Democrats already. > > Like I said, staggering news. And the _NYT_ would never stoop to cherry-picking to pat themselves on the back -no sirree. > > In other news, four out of five dentists recommend Trident gum for their patients who chew gum. And if it wasn’t true, you couldn’t say it on TV, or the op-ed page of the _New York Times_. > > Regards, > Shodan If you don’t believe the experts, maybe you’ll believe Trump’s top appointees who’ve called him a moron. Or the droves of Republicans who don’t want to work for him. Or his daily lying. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/39 "2018-02-20T22:26:42Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Back when GWB was President all my friends who are more liberal than I am would say “he’s the worst President ever!” And I would say “really? Cause Grant - hell of a General…LOUSY President. Buchanan? Didn’t really even try to stop the Civil War from happening. Harding - corrupt. Hoover - Coulton says it best 'screwed the pooch in the Great Depression…Nah, GWB will go down in History as a completely average President who didn’t step up in times of crisis, but generally speaking, didn’t make things worse.” > > I’m not disagreeing when they say Trump is the worst. I say “he seems to be giving Buchanan some competition.” Didn’t make things worse? Have you forgotten Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Great Recession? George H. W. Bush showed how you fight a war there. His kid showed how you don’t. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167/40 "2018-02-20T22:52:58Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > I’m sort of a Historian - amateur and dilettante, but better read and educated than most people (with, of course, huge gaps in knowledge, History is HUGE). > > Back when GWB was President all my friends who are more liberal than I am would say “he’s the worst President ever!” And I would say “really? Cause Grant - hell of a General…LOUSY President. Buchanan? Didn’t really even try to stop the Civil War from happening. Harding - corrupt. Hoover - Coulton says it best 'screwed the pooch in the Great Depression…Nah, GWB will go down in History as a completely average President who didn’t step up in times of crisis, but generally speaking, didn’t make things worse.” > > I’m not disagreeing when they say Trump is the worst. I say “he seems to be giving Buchanan some competition.” Wait, what? He invaded Iraq, destabilized the Middle East and created the conditions for the rise of ISIS. Because of the instability on its border, Turkey, a NATO ally, embraced religious intolerance and turned its back on democratic reform. He ignored the warning signals on 9/11 and because of his half assed intervention in Afghanistan, we are still there, making it the longest war in American history (and one we lost the minute we invaded Iraq) and then he almost allowed a global economic collapse, but thank god his term ran out before he could do more damage. The nicest thing I can say about Bush is he is probably the second worst president in American history, but that’s only because Trump figured out a way to be worse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-worst-american-president-according-to-new-york-times-poll-of-experts/809167.md?page=3)