# Which American 1920s or 30s figure does Donald Trump most resemble? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 11, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460 "2016-11-11T04:00:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/1 "2016-11-11T04:00:51Z")
Hi Donald Trump reminds me of historical figures from the 1920s or 30s, certainly not more modern figures. I thought initially perhaps a Harding. He’s not a J.P Morgan or a Tom Lamont. The way he carries himself is unusual. I look forward to your feedback. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/2 "2016-11-11T04:08:28Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > Hi > Donald Trump reminds me of historical figures from the 1920s or 30s, certainly not more modern figures. I thought initially perhaps a Harding. He’s not a J.P Morgan or a Tom Lamont. The way he carries himself is unusual. I look forward to your feedback. …Then again, maybe he is like the thin-skinned Morgans(Junius and Jack). ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/3 "2016-11-11T05:11:05Z")
William Randolph Hearst who actually got elected President. Fun fact: Trump’s favourite movie is _Citizen Kane_ ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/4 "2016-11-11T06:56:12Z")
I suspect he may turn out to be more of a Russian figure. Yeltsin without the drink problem. ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/5 "2016-11-11T22:23:15Z")
Well, Huey Long was also seen as a colorful clown by a lot of people, although the political views aren’t much of a match. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/6 "2016-11-11T23:28:25Z")
Huey Long was also my first take - a radical populist (“rabble-rouser”) who gathered enormous support by opposing the “Establishment”. But Long favored “Share Our Wealth” - calling for massive re-distribution of wealth to eliminate the Depression. I don’t think Trump would be interested in building roads, Universities, hospitals for the poor, etc. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/7 "2016-11-12T06:06:02Z")
Father Coughlin > **[Charles Coughlin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Coughlin)** > > Charles Edward Coughlin (/ˈkɒɡlɪn/ KOG-lin; October 25, 1891 – October 27, 1979), commonly known as Father Coughlin, was a Canadian-American Catholic priest based in the United States near Detroit. He was the founding priest of the National Shrine of the Little Flower. Dubbed "The Radio Priest" and considered a leading demagogue, he was one of the first political leaders to use radio to reach a mass audience. During the 1930s, when the U.S. population was about 120 million, an estimated 30 mil ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/8 "2016-11-12T07:56:13Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > I don’t think Trump would be interested in building roads, Universities, hospitals for the poor, etc. Didn’t he make a thing at one point about expanding infrastructure projects? But that was then. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/9 "2016-11-12T08:16:34Z")
Do we have to limit ouselves to _American_ persons from the 1920s and 30s? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/10 "2016-11-12T08:33:51Z")
Perhaps William Claude Fields, but without the charm. ---
**Author:** ![Staale\_Nordlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Staale\_Nordlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staale_Nordlie)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/11 "2016-11-12T11:49:49Z")
Franklin D. Roosevelt. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/12 "2016-11-12T14:06:57Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Huey Long was also my first take - a radical populist (“rabble-rouser”) who gathered enormous support by opposing the “Establishment”. > > But Long favored “Share Our Wealth” - calling for massive re-distribution of wealth to eliminate the Depression. > I don’t think Trump would be interested in building roads, Universities, hospitals for the poor, etc. Yeah, that was my first thought, too. And honestly, as far as I can tell, Trump isn’t actually interested in _anything_ other than getting praise and adulation; I think he probably _could_ be convinced that a massive infrastructure project would be a good way to achieve that, especially if he gets to have his name on things, and it’s one of the few positive things he could do that would actually create jobs for non-college-educated Americans. If I were a principled Democrat in a position of power right now, I’d be cozying up to him, flattering him, and trying to channel his energy in that direction. (Also setting up a regular poker night or something with Al Gore, who will let him win and simultaneously make sure he keeps hearing that climate change is a thing.) Luckily, this seems to be the approach Obama is actually taking. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/13 "2016-11-12T15:16:34Z")
Jimmy Walker, aka Beau James, former mayor of New York City. A flashy show biz figure who liked the trappings and glamor of politics but didn’t have any interest in doing the job of running city services. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/14 "2016-11-12T19:21:04Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Yeah, that was my first thought, too. And honestly, as far as I can tell, Trump isn’t actually interested in _anything_ other than getting praise and adulation; I think he probably _could_ be convinced that a massive infrastructure project would be a good way to achieve that, especially if he gets to have his name on things, and it’s one of the few positive things he could do that would actually create jobs for non-college-educated Americans. Would a project akin to the Eisenhower Interstate System named for Trump be acceptable? Think of all those signs you could vandalize! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![john\_b\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@john\_b\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_b_2)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/15 "2016-11-12T19:45:21Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Yeah, that was my first thought, too. And honestly, as far as I can tell, Trump isn’t actually interested in _anything_ other than getting praise and adulation; I think he probably _could_ be convinced that a massive infrastructure project would be a good way to achieve that, especially if he gets to have his name on things, and it’s one of the few positive things he could do that would actually create jobs for non-college-educated Americans. > > If I were a principled Democrat in a position of power right now, I’d be cozying up to him, flattering him, and trying to channel his energy in that direction. (Also setting up a regular poker night or something with Al Gore, who will let him win and simultaneously make sure he keeps hearing that climate change is a thing.) Luckily, this seems to be the approach Obama is actually taking. Yup. My sentiments exactly. Trump strikes me as more flexible as a person than when he’s in campaign mode and “on” for the public. He’d actually be wise to build alliances with the Democrats, especially the disaffected Bernie Sanders supporters. He could achieve a good deal that way. And besides, the mainstream Republicans despise him, most opposed his election, did so in public, so he has more to gain than lose in working with the Dems. ---
**Author:** ![epolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@epolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epolo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/16 "2016-11-12T20:44:46Z")
I can’t think of any other thin-skinned, bullying, ethno-nationalist demagogues who came to power in that time period by blaming economic troubles on vulnerable minorities. Nope, not a one. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/17 "2016-11-12T20:45:52Z")
If you’re willing to nudge the time frame to include 1940 then there’s Wendell Willkie, the Wall Street businessman who became the surprise nominee for the GOP despite never running for public office before. Again, the political views aren’t really a match other than the parallel of Willkie having been a Democrat for a long time prior to switching sides. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/18 "2016-11-12T21:22:30Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Would a project akin to the Eisenhower Interstate System named for Trump be acceptable? Think of all those signs you could vandalize! 😃 I am thinking, if they ever settle on a spent fuel repository … ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/19 "2016-11-12T23:12:43Z")
Edward G. Robinson ? Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460/20 "2016-11-12T23:24:43Z")
> [@epolo](#): > > I can’t think of any other thin-skinned, bullying, ethno-nationalist demagogues who came to power in that time period by blaming economic troubles on vulnerable minorities. > > Nope, not a one. I can only think of a couple pretty obscure examples. I’m sure there aren’t any famous ones that come to mind, especially ones that share Trump’s ethnicity who had grandfathers who changed their last name. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-1920s-or-30s-figure-does-donald-trump-most-resemble/771460.md?page=2)