Best and Worst Presidents in American History
There is nothing new about making a list that ranks the U.S. presidents. There are plenty of historians and journalists who have already done it multiple times.
Usually, those rankings go a bit beyond just the political tactics of those presidents. But if you’re looking for an objective point of view, you came to the right place.
First things first… HONESTY! Presidents aren’t 100% responsible for everything that happens in America, so they shouldn’t be given credit or assigned blame for absolutely everything that goes right or wrong in our country.
Given all that, let’s discuss 5 presidents who are ranked as the best, and 5 presidents who, in our opinion, dragged us all down.
Let’s start with the winners.Â
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53 thoughts on “5 Best and 5 Worst Presidents of All Time”
None of these are in the category of best Presidents.!!!!!
Because he was one of the very best Presidents.
Any historian would include Thomas Jefferson in the top five presidents of all time.
Jefferson was a great American founder but a mediocre president at best.
Why was Trump not listed as one of the worst ones?
I agree we was horrible and ruined our country. Especially the way he handled covid and then took credit for what the scientists did not him.
Then your not old enough to make a judgement
Tania – you agree he was horrible because the 3.5% growth rate his policies engendered was the highest in over 20 years? Or was he horrible because his 1.5% inflation rate was too low and you prefer the 8% inflation rate of Biden? Or was he so horrible because he destroyed ISIS after Obama let it grow for 8 years unabated? Or was he horrible for getting us out of endless wars? Or was he horrible for being the first President since Coolidge not to start another new war? Or was he horrible for driving project Warp Speed that produced vaccines in under a year, solved the ventilator shortage, solved the mask shortage, etc when in the past no vaccines were approved in less than five years? Just what was so horrible to you? Deregulation? Controlled borders? Ending the endless wars? Renegotiating trade treaties horribly one-sided against the US? Setting up successful tax free enterprise zones to bring jobs to inner cities? Lowering taxes with cuts that paid for themselves?
I AGREE 100PERCENT PLEASE DO NOT DO NOT ALLOW HIM TO TRY TO HE WAS A MONSTER IN COMMAND THANK YOU
Because he surly qualified as 1 of 10 best
Because he was a very Good President
Because he was a hell of alot better than the dim wit we have right now.
Because he wasn’t.
You may not have liked Trump, but Putin was afraid of him. He has said he does not have to worry about taking over the US as Biden is doing it for him.
Because he was and is pro USA !
Because Trump delivered on Peace and Prosperity. The 3.5% growth rate he drove with deregulation and tax cuts that paid for themselves are the only time in the last 20 years that America grew at those rates. Trump got us out of the endless wars, managed to use a mix of intimidation and persuasion to be the only one of the last four Presidents where Putin did not invade a neighbor, crushed ISIS after Obama let it grow like Topsy for eight years, was the first President since Coolidge not to get involved with a new war (in all fairness Carter could claim the same excepting sending an attacking force against Iran), but Trump was the most clearcut anti-NeoCon forused on ending the endless wars.
Contrast this with Biden, for example, who inherited an economy in a steep rise of recovery from COVID and with bad policies within a quarter ended growth (now ~1%/y), started suppression of oil production while massively spending moving inflation from about 1.6% to >8% rapidly (highest level in 50 years), subsidized people not working so we are STILL at lower employment than in 2019 even with lots of job openings since it is more profitable to take Biden benefits than work. And Biden’s feckless Sec State provoked Russian invasion of Ukraine by saying that Ukraine would be considered for NATO membership (putting NATO armies two days from Moscow) and for EU membership – noting that Ukraine in NATO would be suicide for Russia, a country invaded from the West four times in the last 220 years. Now Biden is pushing us closer and closer to war with a nuclear armed opponent.
The media hated Trump and the left made up all sorts of now discredited attacks on him from the Russia collusion hoax to the Ukrainian hoax
Bottom line is that Trump is not listed as one of the worst ones because when you focus on real performance rather than political bombast Trump was the most effective President since Reagan, maybe better. Would you rather have 1.5% inflation or 8% inflation? Would you rather have ISIS destroyed or thriving? Would you rather have our borders well controlled or having over 2 million illegals from all over the world including nearly 100 confirmed terrorists flooding in? Would you rather have the US getting out of overseas wars or blundering into overseas wars? Would you rather have mean tweets or a borderline dementing President wandering aimlessly around meetings until his wife grabs his hand and leads him out of the room.
Because he was not in that category if anything he should have been in the best top Five.
You must be Kidding Me.
WELL, MAYBE BECAUSE HE WAS’NT ONE OF THE WORST. HE WAS HOWEVER
PRECEDED AND SUCCEEDED BY BOTH GUYS WHO SHOULD BE.
TRUMP WAS BY FAR THE WORST EVER IN MY LIFETIME OF VOTING!! A TRAITOR AND CRIMINAL
Definitely the worst … always lying… only thinking about his own profits…ego … image.
Please bring he moved the embassy to Jerusalem alone was something no other President would do for years. He built up our oil supplies for low low price. Had good control of the border. Donated his salary because he didn’t need it. Had a lot of people working and many didn’t live off the government. That’s still not good enough! Then also in office they impeached him for nothing. Trump 2024!!!
Open your eyes, please.
Barack Obama, Best president I ever voted for , The man has class and integrity, Tried to unite our country
You should be sober before you post
I would bump Ike to 6th best, and move Theodore Roosevelt to FDR’s spot. On the worst list I would put Barack Obama somewhere on the list. Actually, I believe the 5 worst list should be expanded to 10.
On top of the worst list should be Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump! Obama was one of the best. He would have been even better if the GOP hadn’t blocked everything he tried to do.
No way for Reagan – trickle down economics did not work then and it sure doesn’t now. The rich get richer the poor are poorer.
One of the worst president in my opinion!
Wow just Wow you really are not that bright
The worst ever is Trump. He’s a liar, crook and the most dishonest president we ever had in office. He’s a narcissist and took credit for things he never did including Covid. He will never be president again. I truly pray he goes to jail.
Couldn’t have said it better.
Obama should be one of the best 3!
You missed Trump under worse president ever! Hard to miss him since he lied almost 40,000 times while in office and almost took back the presidency, that he lost fair and square, through a violent insurrection. You can’t be a chicken Shit like everyone else or this country and the democracy we stand for will soon perish. Grow a pair dude!
They left of Biden
They left out Biden for being top 5 worse president Biden is the worse of them all.
One of the best. C
I think Thomas Jefferson was one of the best
Ronald Reagan was one of the worst presidents ever. He was responsible for arming and training the contras. He made the rich richer and the poor poorer. He almost eliminated the middle class. We are still paying for his programs. Ollie North brought heavy drugs into the US (at Reagans request). Instead of going to jail, he ran for public office…and won. He was behind the prisoners being held captive until after the election. No Mr Nice Guy!! There’s more!
Well said. You are right on every point. He is the one who began the slide that got us where we are now.
I must agree with those who insist that Donald Trump was the worst president ever, by far! Trump is driven by his unbridled narcissism and completely blinded by his total lack of morality, humanity, and empathy! No president has been so persistently plagued by his unethical and illegal behavior, constant controversies, pathological lying, and 3 impeachments! No president has refused to accept and conceed to losing a legitimate election, and then helped to organize and precipitate a violent coup to have himself re-installed as president! What a total corrupt, amoral slimeball and horrible president! Yuck!
Lyndon Johnson is given credit for helping with the Civil Rights movement. Politically speaking, he’s considered one of the best presidents.
Trump whom I’ve met and conversed with, is by far the worst. He only cared for and acted for himseld. FDR, who, without due recourse, sent thousand of Japanese Amerricans to internment camps and had homes and businesses confiscated, should also be on the worst list. not the best.
Thank you. I agree 100%
Reagan the WORST; his disrespect (even hatred) of our government led to Trump (second worst)!
Best was Trump for the US citizens…..he brought America back on the world stage of respect!
Best – Abe Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, Teddy Rosevelt, Jefferson George Washington
Worst – Barrack Obomas, Clinton, Biden, Nixon and LBJ
Trump was the absolute worst . I always thought Reagan was till Trump was elected.
Best in my lifetime, FDR, Iwas one year old when he was elected., Truman, Bill Clinton, except for his women, Obama and Biden if they hadn’t had so much resistance from GOP. Early ones, of course, Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln,.I liked George HW Bush, but not W. The only ones I have really really strongly disliked were Reagan and Trump.
Why didn’t Biden make this list? He falls under worse and diving our nation’ One president seems to be his twin in mess ups James Buchanan. He was just like Biden! Very interesting>
In the modern era of Presidents the worst are:
1 Biden
2 Obama
3 Carter
Trump was one of the Good presidents and let me tell you why! He kept all of his promises! The country ran well. Stocks were up! gas prices were low! No inflation like we have now. He was for the people. No open borders!! and he was in the process of getting our own oil line (which should have been done a long time ago) United States should not have to rely on anything from any other country. Biden destroyed our country. It’s a disgrace! I personal didn’t like Trump as a person but he was a great president. Sometimes we need to look at the whole picture! Yes he was mean and arrogant at times but he got the job done! and there would be no war right now if Trump was President!!!
Trump was the best ever.
On the border = the Best
On energy independence = the Best
On peace in the Middle East = the Best
I could go on all day, don’t blindly follow the Fake News.
President Trump loves this country. He doesn’t need this, we need him.
Jefferson was a great American founder but a mediocre president at best.