Andrew Johnson

Presidents And Immigration Policies: 1861-1921

This is the second of four entries on Presidents and Immigration Policies, covering the years 1861-1921, from Abraham Lincoln through the administration of Woodrow Wilson.

Under Abraham Lincoln, immigration was encouraged, with many immigrants, particularly German nationals, participating in Civil War military battles, and the Homestead Act of 1862 actively recruited immigrants.

The same pro immigration policies were pursued with the growth of industrial expansion, under Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, and James A. Garfield.

Sadly, however in the Presidency of Chester Alan Arthur, anti Chinese hatreds led to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, the first major racial immigration restriction in American history, legislation that was renewed and continued as policy until American participation in World War II in 1943.

Grover Cleveland continued a similar policy and under Benjamin Harrison, the US Government established federal control of immigration, under the Immigration Act of 1891.

Similar restrictive policies toward Chinese and other Asian immigration continued under William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft with talk about “True Americanism” under Roosevelt.

Under Woodrow Wilson, restrictive immigration legislation on literacy tests was passed over his veto, amid growing fear of Catholic and Jewish immigration being perceived as a danger to America. And Wilson was very much a denier of basic civil liberties, and his open racism was made clear as promoting restrictions.

Tragically, massive restrictions on immigration and open anti Catholic and anti semitic beliefs would become dominant starting in the 1920s through 1965, the subject of the next entry on Presidents and Immigration Policies.

Donald Trump Solidifies Worst Presidential Ranking In Second Term!

President Donald Trump, in his tumultuous first term (2017-2021) managed to end up in the bottom three of all 44 Presidents through 2021.

In the C Span Presidential Survey of 2021, Trump ended up tied in points with Franklin Pierce, as third from the bottom of the rankings, only ahead of Andrew Johnson and James Buchanan, with those two Presidents, after and before Abraham Lincoln, only three points apart, with Buchanan as the rock bottom.

Trump ended up as between 40 and 44 in all ten categories, except “Public Persuasion” as 32; “Economic Management” as 34; and “Vision: Setting An Agenda” as 36.

In the Siena College Research Institute Survey of 2022, Donald Trump ended up as third from the bottom, with Andrew Johnson at the bottom, followed by James Buchanan, and then Trump at number 43, since Joe Biden after one year, is included in the rankings.

In 2018, when Trump was first ranked in an earlier survey, he was number 42, again third from the bottom at the time.

In the 2022 poll, Trump only avoided the “40s” in ranking in three of a total of 20 categories of the survey—32 in “Party Leadership”; 16 in “Luck”; and 32 in “Willing To Take Risks”.

In the 2018 poll, Trump only avoided the “40s” in ranking in three cagegories, as well—39 in “Handling of US Economy”; 10 in “Luck”; and 25 in “Willing To Take Risks”.

Finally, in the American Political Science Association Survey of 2024 (Presidential Greatness Survey), Trump is rated at the absolute bottom in points at 10.92, with James Buchanan at 16.71, and Andrew Johnson at 21.56.

In Ranking by Party Ideology, and including Joe Biden in the rankings, Trump is rated as the absolute bottom at 45 by: Democrats, Independents, Liberals, and Moderates; and ranked 41 by Republicans, and 43 by Conservatives.

Trump is also listed, by massive margins, as the most polarizing President, more than twice as much as Andrew Jackson and Barack Obama.

And realize, all of these rankings are BEFORE Donald Trump entered his second Presidency, and the events of the past 19 months will only solidify his ranking as, by far, the worst and most divisive President of the 45 men who have held that office!

Donald Trump Does Not Want To Be Herbert Hoover, But He Is Worse Than Hoover!

Recently, President Donald Trump stated that he did not want to be rated worse than former President Herbert Hoover, who was President during the early years of the Great Depresssion, nearly a century ago.

Well, the news is that despite Herbert Hoover’s low ranking, between number 31 and number 36, so in the bottom third of Presidents, he ranks higher than Donald Trump who is no better in scholarly polls than tied for third from the bottom with Franklin Pierce, only above Andrew Johnson and James Buchanan, and in some rankings, at the very bottom.

Herbert Hoover had his faults:

Slow to react to the crash on Wall Street in October 1929, and unwilling to abandon “Laissez Faire” Economics, and presiding over the worst years of the Great Depression.

Rejecting hundreds of economists who warned against the Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930, which he signed, making the downturning economy much worse, and adding to the decline in international trade.

Came across as a rigid and inflexible personality.

Had inability to appeal for public support, and his lack of public image.

But at the same time, Hoover did not preside over massive corruption;

did not take America into a major war;

did not promote nativism and prejudice in massive numbers;

was a highly educated and accomplished man in public service before his Presidency, and in his earlier business career, and had a stellar reputation before he reached the Presidency;

and had a level of dignity and statesmanship—all the opposite of Donald Trump!

Trump claimed in his first term to be isolationist, but has been anything but that, antagonizing European and Asian allies, and reviving a sense of American imperialism in the Western Hemisphere, while Hoover, for right or for wrong, practiced an isolationist policy.

Ultimately, Herbert Hoover was a decent gentleman, who helped promote reorganization of the federal government with the Hoover Commission under President Harry Truman in the post World War II period, and acted in a dignified manner.

So Donald Trump does not match Herbert Hoover, as low as Hoover is ranked, and will always be rated lower in history than Herbert Hoover.

Trump Presidency Most Corrupt And Scandal Ridden In All Of American History!

Massive grift and corruption and scandal, without any apology, or attempt to hide—that is the Donald Trump Presidency, by far the worst, most evil Presidency in American history, far surpassing the Richard Nixon, Warren G. Harding, Ulysses S. Grant, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush administrations!

Notice that all of the most corrupt administrations were under Republican Presidents, a tragic reality that the party that was founded in the opposition to the expansion of slavery in 1854 has become the party of a totally different perspective on everything that the party represented under Abraham Lincoln in the Civil War Era and Theodore Roosevelt in the Progressive Era.

But Donald Trump is far worse in the level of venality than any of the earlier Presidents, with the only competitor for that unfortunate distinction being Richard Nixon.

When the era of Donald Trump is part of history, it will provide legions of investigation and research to uncover so much grift, corruption and scandal that at present is not even fully understood or realized.

Presidential scholars already rank Trump in the bottom three Presidents, alongside James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson, but the horrible events and controversies that are occurring now insure that Donald Trump will end up solidly in the basement as the worst, and in many ways, most dangerous President in American history, bar none.

The tragedy of it all is that Donald Trump really does not care about public opinion or Presidential experts, and the American population still contains 30-40 percent who think everything is fine, a troubling scenario that will undermine the American future for many decades moving forward.

The Total Preposterous And Outrageous “Prager University” Presidential Rankings Survey!

The Right Wing Propaganda Organ known as “Prager University”, which is NOT a university, but a well financed attempt to distort the reality of American history, extol the virtues of unbridled capitalism, work against “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion”, and undermine science, has come out with a 2026 Ranking of American Presidents.

Anyone who would believe the virtues or veracity of this listing needs their heads examined, as it is a total distortion of the office of the Presidency to the extreme imaginable!

All Presidents except William Henry Harrison (one month) and James A. Garfield (6 months) are included, but with the decision NOT to include Donald Trump, even though he finished his first term five years ago, but using the excuse that he is presently in office, so not to be placed in the listing for now.

One can be certain when a later version of this so called “Ranking” is published in the future, Donald Trump will end up very high on the list, probably in the top five, based on the crazy order of the Presidents compiled by the propagandists promoting this pure trash of a listing.

So without listing every President, let’s look at the most significant cases of total distortion.

The survey starts off with George Washington Number 1 and Abraham Lincoln Number 2, but after that, the listing goes totally awry.

Ronald Reagan is Number 3, which is a major distortion of reality, but then is followed by, of all people, Calvin Coolidge at Number 4. That is an example of how wacky this survey is, when examined in detail. No one who has any intelligence would rate Coolidge as anything more than in the bottom third of the Presidents.

The rest of the top 10 are in order—Thomas Jefferson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, James Monroe, James Madison, John Adams, and Theodore Roosevelt. Monroe, Madison and John Adams in most cases would be in the middle of the second ten, not the top ten, but otherwise, not terrible, except to put Coolidge above the Founding Father Presidents and Theodore Roosevelt, as well! How crazy can one get?

Harry Truman is rated Number 12, behind Grover Cleveland at Number 11, which seems ridiculous, followed by Andrew Jackson as Number 13 and James K. Polk as Number 15, both who have otherwise collapsed to lower than Number 20 with recent reevaluations that have caused their rapid decline. Ulysses S. Grant is Number 14, higher than the rise he has gained in legitimate rankings.

John F. Kennedy ends up Number 18 and Franklin D. Roosevelt as Number 20, with of all people, William Howard Taft in between as Number 19, clearly totally lacking in reality.

The Two Bushes, HW and W are Numbers 21 and 22, with Bill Clinton behind them as Number 23, followed by the largely unimpressive many Presidents that have been ranked low for many decades in surveys.

But once we reach the 31-42 range, the bottom of the list, we discover Lyndon B. Johnson Number 35 behind Herbert Hoover Number 33, as well as behind Gerald Ford Number 27 and Richard Nixon Number 29. How crazy can one get to come up with such rankings?

And it gets worse, as Woodrow Wilson is Number 37, followed by Barack Obama Number 38, Jimmy Carter Number 39, and then followed by two Presidents who belong in the bottom, Andrew Johnson Number 40 and James Buchanan Number 41. One might be harshly critical of Wilson, who has declined in rankings in recent years, but to put him in the bottom six of all Presidents is preposterous! And placing Obama and Carter in this bottom group is outrageous beyond belief and reality!

But one might ask, well, who is the absolute bottom at Number 42, and it is, unbelievably, Joe Biden! Whether one admires Joe Biden’s Presidency or not, to put him dead last is the height of craziness, not based on facts!

Notice that the three recent Presidents who demonstrated compassion, empathy, common decency and humanity, morals, ethics, and had no corruption—Obama, Carter, Biden—end up in the bottom five of these listings, which is testimony to how disgraceful this listing of Presidents really is!

This so called “Prager University” Poll is total garbage, and no serious scholar or intelligent citizen would accept the presposterous and outrageous compiling of this propaganda organ, that deserves to be disposed of as extremist and lunatic in nature!

The American Presidency In Mourning Over The Loss Of Dignity And Respect Perpetrated By Donald Trump!

The office of the American Presidency has been in existence for 237 years since the Inauguration of George Washington on April 30, 1789.

The 45 men who have occupied the office have been analyzed and evaluated constantly, with some being extremely wanting in leadership, while others turned out to be glorious heroes, and many just adequate.

But the office of the American Presidency is in mourning over the loss of dignity and respect perpetrated by Donald Trump.

No one, not even James Buchanan or Andrew Johnson, is perceived today as worse than Donald Trump, as neither set out to destroy American democracy and the rule of law by intention and action as Donald Trump has done.

Herbert Hoover may have presided over the tragedy of the Great Depression, and Richard Nixon may have engaged in actions that were illegal and unconstitutional, but both still had a sense of dignity that can never be matched by Donald Trump.

No President has set out to undermine international affairs, and promote open racism and criminality in domestic affairs as Donald Trump has done and is still doing.

No President has a lower ethical or moral standard than Donald Trump, and no one has wished to glorify themselves in obscene ways and manners in the way he has.

If Donald Trump had only had one term of office, his reputation would be higher than it now is, as he threatens the complete breakdown of the nation as it reaches the 250th Anniversary of the Republic.

The battle for preservation of democracy and the rule of law cannot be allowed to lead to defeat, so every decent American must join in the struggle to maintain the goodness of this nation, and work to overcome and reverse the harm being done daily.

Long live the Republic, and the institution of the Presidency for future generations!

Presidents With Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Many public figures have the psychological condition known as “Narcissistic Personality Disorder”, as well as do millions of ordinary citizens, wanting constant attention and adoration.

Among them are a substantial group of American Presidents, nearly one of every four Chief Executives.

The list would include, in chronological order:

Andrew Jackson
Andrew Johnson
Theodore Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
Franklin D. Roosevelt
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
Bill Clinton
Donald Trump

The most destructive Presidents with this syndrome, clearly, are Donald Trump, Richard Nixon, Andrew Jackson, and Andrew Johnson in the long run of history, in that ranked order.

The other six listed here, while possessing NPD, can be seen as having a greater, overall, positive influence on their time in office, despite their shortcomings and weaknesses.

Of course, this above list and the judgment on these Presidents is subject to debate and discussion, which is welcomed in comments!

At End Of First Year Of Second Separate Term, Donald Trump “47” Ranks Lower Than “45”, And Below James Buchanan And Andrew Johnson In Presidential Rankings!

America has had 45 Presidents, and Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump have had separate Presidential terms after being defeated, so therefore, Cleveland is both the 22nd and 24th President, and Trump is both the 45th and 47th President.

With nearly a year completed of Trump 47, it is clear to anyone who judges Presidential leadership that Donald Trump 47 is far worse than Trump 45, and clearly below both James Buchanan 15 and Andrew Johnson 17, the Presidents before and after Abraham Lincoln 16, with certainty.

Trump 45 has been both ranked above Buchanan and Johnson, and at times, below, but now there is no contest with Trump 47.

Trump 45 had some Cabinet and other advisers who were able, to some extent, control his urges, and prevent the worst policies imaginable, but Trump 47 has no such individuals who can tame his destructive and unstable desires and actions.

So Trump 47, added to Trump 45, is without any debate, the absolutely worse President in American history, no debate or doubts, if for no other reason than both Buchanan and Johnson served one term and all but six weeks of one term, respectively.

So many outrages and mind blowing statements and actions on a daily basis leave America in danger of autocracy being established in such a way that American democracy and the rule of law are in dire straits.

Any sane person who is not racist, misogynist, nativist, Islamophobic, or a sympathizer with Russia and other autocracies, can perceive anything decent or reasonable coming from Donald Trump 47.

His Cabinet Officers and other advisors are the most horrendous, corrupt, and obscene group ever created, and his administration is the most corrupt in every way imaginable, far more than Richard Nixon.

There are no perceivable redeeming qualities one can acknowledge, and the thought of another three years of this monstrosity, whether or not Donald Trump survives that long, is an absolute horror.

With Richard Nixon, the thought of Spiro Agnew as a possible successor was evaded, thankfully, and we had a decent alternative in Gerald Ford, but one cannot be optimistic about JD Vance, based on his actions and utterances as Vice President, that he would improve upon or abandon the policies of Donald Trump!

Unchecked Presidential Power Without Accountability!

Donald Trump has, in a multitude of ways, and with the assistance of Republicans in Congress and the states, and the majority of the United States Supreme Court, gained unchecked Presidential power without accountability.

By comparison, Richard Nixon was a “choir boy”, and other Presidents who have been objectionable in different ways, such as Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, and George W. Bush, pale by comparison!

Trump has horribly abused executive orders and issued outrageous pardons and commutations to law breakers, not only those from the January 6 US Capitol Insurrection, but also others who have committed other kinds of criminal acts.

Trump has incited the most extreme of MAGA Republicans to threaten lives of politicians who speak out or oppose him in any way.

Trump has worked to fix the elections in 2026, by outrageous interference promoting extreme gerrymanderins.

Trump has become an abuser in foreign policy, and totally alienated foreign nations and their leaders, and is very willing to undermine Ukraine, and promote the aggression of Vladimir Putin, as well as other authoritarians all around the world.

Trump has demonstrated extreme racism, misogyny, Islamophobia, nativism, and consorted with antisemites, while supposedly working with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Every day for more than ten months, Trump has worsened and undermined the lives of Americans, and instilled fear in people who are not white Christians.

And the problem is that his followers and his Cabinet and other top figures around him are only too willing to do his evil deeds with glee!

So even when and if Trump leaves the scene, the fear is that the cancer he has introduced into American government will be pursued beyond his lifetime!

Nancy Pelosi Greatest Woman In American Political History, And Among Top Few Speakers Of The House!

California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House (2007-2011) and (2019-2023) has announced her retirement at the end of the present term in 2026, after nearly 40 years in the House of Representatives.

There is no way that anyone can deny that Nancy Pelosi is the greatest woman in American political history for anyone elected, as only a few First Ladies (Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama) even come close in influence, and also Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would be in that category.

Clearly, Pelosi is the best, by far, Speaker of the House in modern times, with only Sam Rayburn, Thomas “Tip” O’Neill, and Henry Clay competing with her for the greatest of all time.

Those three Speakers served 17, 10, and 10 years, respectively, as Speaker, while Pelosi served 8 years.

Her impact was massive, as she helped bring about the Affordable Care Act under Barack Obama, and resisted Donald Trump and his authoritarian impulses in his first term in the White House, and is still actively working against Trump’s dangerous moves in the first year of his second term. Also, she promoted the first gun violence prevention legislation since the early 1990s, during the Presidency of Joe Biden.

Pelosi was subjected to direct threat by the Insurrectionists on January 6, 2021 at the US Capitol, and the hateful rhetoric of Trump helped incite the attack on her husband in 2022.

Pelosi showed great courage and determination in the face of constant attacks by the opposition party in the House of Representatives over her two decade leadership of her party.

She was a master strategist, and had the respect of her caucus, which she was able to lead with great skill.

Not bad for a woman who had five children and did not enter politics until her mid 40s, a true model for women who wished to pursue public service.

The fact that Donald Trump continues to condemn Pelosi even now, says legions about the character of both Pelosi and Trump.

At the same time, the last six Republican Speakers since 1995–Newt Gingrich, Dennis Hastert, John Boehner, Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, and now Mike Johnson, have been steadily getting more outrageously horrendous with each new Speakership!

While Pelosi will go down in history as among the greatest Speakers and Congressional leaders of all time, Donald Trump is assuredly, more every day that passes, adding to the reality of being the WORST President, by far, in American history.

It is causing reconsideration of James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and Franklin Pierce, the others Presidents, all around the Pre Civil and Civil War period, who have been rated as the worst Presidents of American history!