Donald Trump has demonstrated a fixation with three past Presidents–Andrew Jackson (1829-1837); James K. Polk (1845-1849); and William McKinley (1897-1901).
All three of these Presidents had accomplishments worthy of being recalled, but all three also had major shortcomings.
Jackson is rated number 21; McKinley number 24; and Polk number 25 in the American Political Science Association Survey in 2024.
Jackson fell 12 points in rank; McKinley 3 points in rank; and Polk 6 points in rank from nearly a decade earlier, in 2015.
In the last C Span Presidential Survey in 2021, Jackson was number 22, down from 18 and 13 in earlier rankings
McKinley was number 14, up from 16 and 15 in earlier rankings.
Polk was number 18, down from 14 and 12 in earlier rankings.
Jackson has had major problems in historical rankings with growing recognition of the “Trail of Tears”, the forcible removal of five Indian tribes from the South to Oklahoma in the 1830s. Also, Jackson was a vehement supporter of slavery, and worked to prevent abolitionists from being able to send their antislavery literature through the US Mail system. The corrupt spoils system began under him, and he was infamous for his terrible temper and killing of a number of people through gun duels. And yet, Donald Trump admires him, and promoted him in the Oval Office during his first Presidential term.
Now, in his second term, Trump has promoted James K. Polk, whose imperialistic bent, “Manifest Destiny” led to more gaining of territory than anyone except Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase. War with Mexico added the whole Southwest, and a treaty with Great Britain divided the Pacific Northwest between Canada and the United States. And Polk promoted slavery, and like Jackson, owned hundreds of slaves
Also, William McKinley has fasinated Donald Trump, with his McKinley Tariff in 1890, when McKinley was in Congress, which led to the “Panic of 1893”, the worst economic downturn until that time frame. And then, McKinley promoted going to war with Spain (Spanish American War), with the US gaining the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, a sphere of influence over Cuba, and separately, annexation of the Hawaiian Islands. So McKinley, just like Polk, was a clearcut imperialist.
Trump and his fixation with tariffs finds McKinley fascinating, despite the truth of the Panic of 1893, and both Polk and McKinley and their imperialistic bent fascinate Trump, with his stated interest in taking back the Panama Canal; making Canada the 51st state; taking Greenland away from Denmark; and wanting US involvement in the Gaza Strip.
U.S. could lose democracy status, says global watchdog.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-democracy-report-1.7486317
Putin Rejects the Trump Cease-Fire
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-phone-call-russia-ukraine-cease-fire-fb684085?st=zsDSVW&reflink=article_copyURL_share
Trump to declare “illicit” fentanyl “Weapon of Mass Destruction,” per draft EO
“The source speculates the purpose is a combination of designating fentanyl cartels as terrorist organizations and creating justification for conducting military operations in Mexico and Canada. They also suspect that it will be used domestically as justification for rounding up homeless encampments and deporting drug users who are not citizens.”
https://www.thehandbasket.co/p/trump-fentanyl-weapon-of-mass-destruction-executive-order-draft-scoop
RFK Jr.’s Alarming Prescription for Bird Flu on Poultry Farms
“The health secretary has suggested allowing the virus to spread, so as to identify birds that may be immune. Such an experiment would be disastrous, scientists say.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/health/kennedy-bird-flu.html?unlocked_article_code=1.404.zYYP.HXW7t7VL8EuF&smid=url-share
RFK Jr. is a nutjob!
Judge says dismantling of USAID was unconstitutional, orders Musk to restore access for employees.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/judge-dismantling-usaid-unconstitutional-orders-musk-restore-access/story?id=119923733
Federal judge indefinitely blocks Trump’s ban on transgender service members, saying it’s ‘soaked in animus’ .
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/18/politics/transgender-military-court-ruling/
100%. There is literally ZERO evidence that allowing transgender people to serve in the military is a problem.
German man with green card ‘violently interrogated’ by US border officials.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/18/germany-investigates-after-national-with-green-card-arrested-at-us-border
The Trump administration has paused $175 million in federal funding to UPenn over transgender athlete policies.
JD Vance picks up a side job at the RNC.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/jd-vance-picks-side-job-rnc-breaking-new-historical-ground-rcna197035
Jackie Robinson’s Army history removed from Defense Department sites.
https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/jackie-robinson-s-army-history-removed-from-defense-department-sites-234795077814
Today, Trump is signing an executive order to get rid of the Department of Education.
https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/trump-to-sign-executive-order-to-begin-shuttering-the-education-department-234907205912
Massive purge of Pentagon websites includes content on Holocaust remembrance, sexual assault and suicide prevention.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/19/politics/pentagon-website-purge/index.html
Getting rid of the Educational Department is completely illegal and unconstitutional.
USDA halts millions of dollars worth of deliveries to food banks.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/19/usda-halts-deliveries-food-banks-trump-00239453
This purge by the Pentagon is vandalism!
A new Supreme Court case seeks to revive one of the most dangerous ideas from the Great Depression.
“FCC v. Consumers’ Research could turn SCOTUS into DOGE on steroids.”
https://www.vox.com/scotus/403650/supreme-court-fcc-consumers-research-nondelegation-andrew-oldham
Europe is delaying tariffs on US goods.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/20/economy/europe-tariff-delay/index.html
Trump’s move to dismantle education department was a conservative dream for decades
“Conservatives in the US have long argued that control over education should lie with the states.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg80x2rw58o
Which is how it USED to be, back in the good ol’ days of Jim Crow, segregation, etc. THAT is what right wingers want to go back to, apparently.
This administration is completely incompetent, in addition to being corrupt and evil.
White House scrambles after JFK files expose Social Security numbers
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/20/trump-jfk-files-personal-data-social-security/
Student loans are going under the Small Business Administration.
School lunches and Special Education are going under Health and Human Services.
Student loans are going there to die. The Small Business Administration is cutting around 43% of its workforce, or about 2,700 positions, the agency’s chief, Kelly Loeffler, announced Friday.
More insanity…
The National Weather Service has cut more forecast-critical weather balloon launches at eight sites in the United States due to staffing shortages brought on by the Trump administration’s effort to slash government employees and expenses.
Trump rescinds security clearances of political rivals Harris, Clinton and others
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/21/politics/security-clearances-trump-harris-clinton/index.html
Trump wants a ‘Golden Dome’ capable of defending the entire US
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/22/politics/pentagon-golden-dome-scramble/index.html