Donald Trump Claims to Be the Greatest President of the United States

Friday 28 August 2026 - 11:05

Donald Trump has once again chosen his own social media platform to showcase his vision of American history. The President of the United States published a personal ranking of leaders who have marked the presidency of the country, placing himself at the top ahead of several foundational and emblematic figures of national history.

This publication comes in a contrasting context. While a recent poll shows that Donald Trump maintains significant support among Republican voters, his popularity among all Americans appears, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on August 24, to be at one of its lowest levels.

Donald Trump at the Top of His Own Ranking

On Truth Social, the 47th President of the United States presented his own interpretation of the presidential rankings. Unsurprisingly, Donald Trump placed himself at the top, calling himself the "greatest."

Behind him, several major figures in American history are among the presidents he considers to have positively impacted the country.

Abraham Lincoln, President during the Civil War and a major figure in the abolition of slavery, George Washington, the first president and one of the principal Founding Fathers of the Nation, as well as Thomas Jefferson, associated notably with the Declaration of Independence, are among the personalities highlighted.

The current president also included other former occupants of the White House in this category of leaders he deems particularly important.

Joe Biden and Barack Obama Ranked Among Failures

Donald Trump's presidential ranking also includes its share of criticisms. The American president notably placed Joe Biden and Barack Obama in a category labeled as "failures."

The two former Democratic presidents are among Donald Trump's primary political targets, who regularly attacks them.

Other American presidents are absent from this ranking, notably George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, illustrating the highly personal and selective nature of this reinterpretation of presidential history.

Part of the publication also references an old historical ranking established by Life magazine in 1948, to which Donald Trump added his own assessment.

Strong Support Among Republicans

This statement comes on the heels of a survey reported by CNN, focused on the presidents most admired by Republican voters.

According to the results presented, Donald Trump is far ahead of the personalities mentioned by respondents. He garners 53% of preferences, ahead of Ronald Reagan with 18% and Abraham Lincoln with 8%.

These results reflect the considerable weight Donald Trump still holds among his electorate and his persistent influence on the Republican Party.

However, they do not measure his popularity across the entire country.

Declining National Popularity

The contrast becomes clearer in surveys conducted among a broader sample of the American population.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on August 24, 33% of Americans surveyed expressed satisfaction with the president's actions, while 65% expressed disapproval.

These figures illustrate the persistent polarization that characterizes American political life. Donald Trump continues to enjoy strong loyalty among a large portion of the Republican electorate, while his image remains much more contested in the rest of the public opinion.

Between Partisan Popularity and National Controversy

By positioning himself above several monuments of American history, Donald Trump remains true to a political communication strategy based on personal promotion, confrontation, and the quest for immediate impact on social media.

His publication comes at a time when two realities coexist. On one hand, the president maintains a dominant position among the Republican base. On the other hand, surveys conducted among the entire American population show a much more unfavorable perception of his actions.

This gap illustrates one of the main characteristics of Donald Trump's presidency: an intact ability to mobilize his most loyal supporters, but also a polarization that continues to profoundly shape the political landscape of the United States.