For the past 10 years, President Donald J. Trump has continuously been referred to as a “king” or “dictator.” “No Kings” protests and rallies have emerged across the entire country and even other parts of the world. President Andrew Jackson is sometimes looked down upon in the same way. Trump and Jackson share many traits in both good and bad ways, and Trump has said many times that he admires Jackson’s stern and fierce style. When Trump took office last January, he immediately restored a portrait of Jackson in the oval office.
When Jackson was President, many of his executive orders and acts were very controversial and sometimes made him seem dictaritorial. Some of Trump’s orders and acts are seen in the same way, and he is constantly criticized for it.
According to a c-span survey completed by a group of historians in 2021, Jackson was ranked the 22nd best president of all time and Trump was ranked 41st. Jackson falls in the middle, while Trump falls towards the end.
It’s very hard to call a President, especially a modern day President, a dictator. The President is restrained by Congress, the Supreme Court, and even the American people, making it almost imposible to do as he pleases. Abuse of executive power is common, but having total power is imposible.
With that said, was Jackson a true President or a want to be dictator? To learn more, listen as host Ethan Vishnick discusses the past and present. Learn about President Andrew Jackson and find out who he really was. Decide for yourself whether or not Trump and Jackson are alike and to what extent they are.
The articles below are referenced in this podcast: