In his second term, President Trump has increasingly reflected on his predecessors. He compares himself with some and distances from the failures of others.

Historical Connections

President Trump often criticizes former presidents Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Barack Obama. However, he also reaches further back into American history to align himself with certain leaders.

Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University, remarked, “Mr. Trump is a one-man Sousa Band of trying to put down other presidents or attach himself to the greatness of George Washington or Theodore Roosevelt or Andrew Jackson.”

Comments on Past Presidents

The New York Times gathered some of Mr. Trump’s statements about 10 past presidents. These provide insight into how he places himself within the context of historical leadership.

The people that make the biggest impact, they’re the ones that they go after.

Trump’s commentary often invokes the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, among others, highlighting his efforts to draw parallels between himself and influential figures in American history.