4 Lessons Trump Needs To Learn From Another Evil President: Andrew Jackson

Two key members of President-elect Donald Trump’s team have compared him to former president and Native American genocidal maniac Andrew Jackson. Rudy Giuliani said on election night that it was “like Andrew Jackson’s victory.” While Steve Bannon said:

“Like Jackson’s populism, we’re going to build an entirely new political movement.”

This comparison is both worrying and accurate. Jackson and Trump have both declared the system “corrupt,” both won over white working class voters, and both had critics that claimed them to be unstable and similar to a dictator.

If Donald Trump’s presidency is going to be anything like the presidency of Andrew Jackson, there are some lessons he should learn before it begins:

1. Claiming Certain Groups Of People “Don’t Belong” Won’t Help Your Legacy

Andrew Jackson had a number of noteworthy successes during his presidency, but what does everybody remember him for? The Trail of Tears. His forced removal of more than 45,000 Native Americans from their homes is one of our country’s greatest tragedies.

Trump has made promises about removing millions of illegal immigrants. Who knows how he would even get it done, but regardless of his methods, it’s safe to say that history will not look kindly upon his legacy if he follows through.

2. You Can’t “Drain The Swamp” Only To Refill It

Like Trump, Jackson ran under the premise of being “for the people” and removing the corruption that had taken over Washington. He then turned around and gave his cabinet positions to a new coalition of elites.

This began the “spoils system,” where appointments were handed out to individuals who supported the president, rather than those who were most qualified. Historians note Jackson’s presidency as the beginning of the decline in political ethics.

Trump has followed in Jackson’s footsteps. Promising to “drain the swamp,” only to seem to be refilling it with politicians and bureaucrats already deeply entrenched in Washington. Although it’s not surprising that Trump’s presidency will likely mark a further decline in political ethics.

3. If You Want To Be Reelected, Fight For The People Who Voted For You

There are many terrible aspects to Andrew Jackson’s presidency, but let’s bypass all that for a moment while we look at one of the things he did well.

Jackson campaigned for the common man – who he called “The planter, the farmer, the mechanic, and the laborer” – and continued to work for them while he was in office.

He removed the Second Bank of the United States, which he saw as corrupt and existing only to help the wealthy, and brought new groups of voters into a political system that saw very little representation from the working class.

While Trump’s party made it harder for people to exercise their right to vote, Jackson worked to expand voting rights. The working class had hardly any representation in the government before Jackson began the populist movement.

Andrew Jackson would go on to win reelection and almost 56 percent of the popular vote, mostly due to support from the working class. If Trump wants to be reelected in 2020, he can’t abandon the people who voted for him.

4. You Will Be Remembered For Your Temperament

There’s a reason we all remember Andrew Jackson as an ill-tempered, racist, often-violent president. It’s because he was. Policy and legislation can be boring and requires focus and attention to understand its nuances. But stories of rage, racism, and violence keep our attention and can be easily remembered.

If Trump can somehow miraculously keep America on track from a policy standpoint, he will also need to do so with the grace and dignity that the title of President demands. But I doubt he’ll be able to do either, all you have to do is look at the history.

Featured Image Credit: Modified Andrew Jackson from U.S. Senate via Wikimedia Commons and modified Donald Trump from Michael Vadon via Flickr/CC-2.o

Currently a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. Has experience in diabetes and cancer research, as well as a background in marine biology. Writes science and health blogs on his website at http://dochogblog.weebly.com/blog