A Disgrace To The American Presidency

I have a DVD from PBS that is a brief biography of the men who served as President of the United States. The most recent President featured in this series is Barack Obama. The introduction to this series states “the office of the President of the United States was created by the constitution to allow the people to choose the person to be the Chief Executive and head of state for the nation.” It goes on to say, “the Presidents of the United States have reflected the people’s desires and wishes for the nation with the times.

So far there have been forty-five men (we have yet to elect a woman as President) who have occupied that office since George Washington became President in 1789. At that time, George Washington was the unanimous choice to lead the new nation. He fulfilled that office with dignity and in 1796, he decided to step down after serving two four-year terms as President. Since then, we have elected forty-four men to that office as the role of the President has changed considerably since the time of George Washington.

So, I ask; what does the election of Donald Trump mean for the nation and how does that election reflect the values and beliefs of the people of the United States? Donald Trump is only the second President elected to a second nonconsecutive term as President. The first was Grover Cleveland who became the 24th President after being elected to that second term in 1892. His second term was a disaster as the economy collapsed with the “Panic of 1893” that was the worst economic crisis since the “Panic of 1837 and the Great Depression of the 1930s.

His second term was marked by riots from workers and labor unions began to organize workers and there were strikes. He became very unpopular. His Democratic party lost control of congress in the 1894 mid-term elections, and he became a pariah in his own party.

One of the most comprehensive rankings of the Presidents is the quadrennial CSPAN ranking of the Presidents that was last done in 2021. The latest one should be released later this year and will include Joe Biden as well as Donald Trump. This presidential ranking uses several metrics such as foreign relations, managing the economy, public persuasion, relations with congress, moral authority, ensuring equal justice for all, crisis management, vision or setting an agenda and performance in the context of the times. This ranking is done by a panel of presidential historians, men and women who have dedicated years to the study of the American presidency.

Donald Trump was ranked at #41, or fourth from the bottom. He was just above Franklin Pierce, Andrew Johnson and James Buchanan at the bottom. James Buchanan served from 1857 until 1861 and when he left office, the nation was on the brink of a bloody four-year Civil War.

At the top of the rankings, there is no surprise. Ranked in the “top ten” are (in order) are Abraham Lincoln (who succeeded James Buchanan and was succeeded by Andrew Johnson), George Washington, Franklin D Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, Thomas Jefferson, John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama.

A preview of the 2025 version shows Donald Trump solidly ranked as dead last as the worst President of all at #45. It shows Joe Biden raked at #14. In the 2025 ranking,

No doubt Donald Trump’s ranking at the bottom in the preview of the 2025 survey has to do with his conviction in the New York trial. He is the only former President to be convicted of a felony after leaving office. In addition, he was facing criminal charges (since delayed) of inciting a riot by his supporters that stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, with the intention of preventing the constitutional certification of his electoral loss in the 2020 presidential election. It is my belief that those two actions, a felony conviction and his attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power following his electoral defeat should have permanently disqualified him from ever holding a public office, especially the Presidency.

The presidency should not be a “get out of jail free” Monopoly card. Any person who could not obtain or keep a license to sell insurance or securities or pass a background check to become an adult advisor to a youth group should not be allowed to become President of the United States. I am wondering just what those men who wrote the constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence might be thinking if they can look down on the nation that they founded right now.

Donald Trump is a disgrace to the office of the President of the United States. Does his election really reflect on the people of the nation? What does the election of Donald Trump say about what the American people think and believe?

Lee Kamps

Lee has been working with Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance since he began working at the Erie County Welfare Department in January 1973 where a major part of his job was determining eligibility for Medicaid. He went into the private insurance business in 1977 with Prudential Insurance Company and within a short time had become one of the company’s top sales agents. In 1982, he was promoted into management where he managed two field offices and as many as thirteen sales agents. After leaving Prudential in 1986, Lee decided to become more focused on health insurance and employee benefits. He has advised many local employers on how to have a more cost effective employee benefit program as well as conducted employee benefit meetings and enrollments for many area employers. The companies Lee has worked with ranged from small “mom and pop” businesses to local operations of large national companies. Lee received his B.S. degree from Kent State University where he has been active in the local alumni association. He has completed seven of the ten courses toward the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist designation. He has taught courses in employee benefits and insurance at Cleveland State University and local community colleges. In addition, Lee is an experienced and accomplished public speaker. He has been a member of Toastmasters International where he achieved the designation of “Able Toastmaster – Silver” in 1994. He has also served as a club president, Area Governor and District Public Relations Officer in Toastmasters as well as winning local speech contests. Lee has also been a member of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association’s Speaker’s Bureau where he was designated as one of the “official spokespeople for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” prior to the hall’s opening in 1995. He has given talks and presentations before many audiences including civic organizations, AARP chapters and many other community groups. With the implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act (Medicare drug bill) in 2006, Lee has shifted his focus to Medicare and helping Medicare beneficiaries navigate the often confusing array of choices and plans available. As an independent representative, Lee is not bound to any one specific company or plan, but he can offer a plan that suits an individual person’s needs and budget. In addition, Lee is well versed in the requirements and availability of various programs for assistance with Medicare part D as well as Medicaid. While he cannot make one eligible, he can assist in the process and steer one to where they may be able to receive assistance.

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Volume 17, Issue 2, Posted 9:52 PM, 01.31.2025