So which other president does Trump call to mind?
With the election over, the next big question is: What next?
To find out, we reached out to a collection of historians, hoping to get their thoughts on whether The Donald calls to mind, in one way or another, any of the nation’s previous leaders. From Trump’s policies to his rhetoric to his unbridled ambition — did anything about the man remind them of presidents past? And what might that tell us about the future?
“He is sui generis. No one before him became president with no experience in public office. No one ever became president having shown so little interest in public affairs.”
H.W. Brands, author and professor in the department of history at the University of Texas at Austin
“I’d compare Trump to Andrew Jackson because of both men’s populist rhetoric and xenophobic appeals. I also see shades of Richard Nixon in Trump’s ambition and temperament, as revealed on the campaign trail. Fortunately, campaigning for office and governing in a constitutional democracy are distinct enterprises.” ...