America at a Crossroads – Where Trump is Leading

In last year’s survey, conducted at the peak of the election campaign, Abraham Lincoln—who won the Civil War and ended slavery—took first place. He was followed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who led America through the Great Depression and World War II, and George Washington, who secured independence from Britain. Next came Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Harry Truman, and Barack Obama. Dwight Eisenhower ranked eighth, Lyndon Johnson ninth, and John F. Kennedy tenth. Bill Clinton landed in 12th place, Joe Biden in 14th, and Jimmy Carter in 22nd. Donald Trump came in last—45th—according to evaluations by 154 political science experts.

Many wonder how Americans could elect the "worst president" in the fall of that same year. First, it’s worth noting that political science professors do not represent all of America; their assessments likely differ from those of ordinary Americans, more than half of whom lack higher education.

Second, Trump won the 2024 election with great difficulty—contrary to his claims of a "landslide" victory. He edged out Kamala Harris by just 1.5% in the popular vote, though he secured more electoral votes, which handed him the win. Factoring in the 1.9% of votes cast for third-party candidates, he ultimately received less than half of the total popular vote. In seven key swing states, his lead emerged in the final hours of voting, with a narrow margin of 1-3%, and in two of those states, he failed to secure a majority.

American presidents, upon winning an election—even by a slim margin—typically claim a "mandate" to implement their policies, asserting that the people have spoken. Donald Trump is no exception, repeatedly vowing to dismantle the "deep state" of Democratic Party liberals entrenched in the "Washington swamp," repeal the "disastrous" laws and executive orders of the "worst" president, Joe Biden, and exact revenge on prosecutors who brought "bogus" criminal cases against him and tried to derail his campaign by imprisoning him. He wasted no time, signing dozens of executive orders to that effect immediately after his inauguration.

Indeed, compared to the 2020 election—when Biden defeated Trump by 4.5%—some young, Hispanic, and Asian voters in 2024 shifted rightward in their views, disillusioned with the Democrats’ record, and cast their ballots for Trump. Many analysts framed these elections as a "rightward turn" in American society, interpreting them as a mandate for Trump to radically reshape the country along conservative lines—rolling back liberal programs initiated by Barack Obama, who had continued the liberal reforms of Kennedy, Johnson, and even earlier, Franklin D. Roosevelt. This has been dubbed Trump’s "conservative revolution," signaling the end of the "liberal era."

Riding this "red wave," Trump launched an aggressive offensive from day one, dismantling Democratic policies in economics, domestic affairs, and foreign relations. Yet Americans did not exhibit the proclaimed "rightward shift" and reacted critically to most of his decisions.

Perhaps Trump’s most radical move—one that sent shockwaves worldwide—was his push to significantly hike tariffs on imports. Two-thirds of Americans disapproved, and the backlash was so intense that Trump froze the decision just two days after implementation, delaying it by 30 days.

Similarly, while most voters had supported deporting illegal immigrants during the campaign, actual enforcement measures sparked public outrage. A majority opposed deporting Salvadoran immigrants to prisons in their home country. They also rejected Trump’s plan to end birthright citizenship—a long-standing practice upheld by Democratic administrations—granting U.S. citizenship to children born in the country, regardless of their parents’ legal status.

Elon Musk, appointed by Trump to head the "Department of Government Efficiency" (tasked with draining the "Washington swamp"), has faced growing criticism. His cuts to agency budgets and staff triggered mass layoffs, including in Social Security and environmental protection—areas vital to most Americans. Public disapproval forced Musk to scale back, with some of his measures now tied up in court.

Many of Trump’s ideas have met clear resistance. Only a third of Americans supported his bid to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America," despite Trump already hanging a map with the new name in the White House. An overwhelming majority opposed his proposals to annex Canada and Greenland.

Of all his actions and executive orders, only his immigration and crime-fighting policies garnered more approval than disapproval. Every other initiative—on the economy, inflation, domestic, and foreign affairs—was viewed negatively. Overall, two-thirds of Americans described the start of Trump’s second term as "chaotic," while 59% called it "frightening."

His approval rating, at 42% in mid-May (per Reuters/Ipsos), is the lowest ever recorded for a president at this stage. The "honeymoon" is over, and the 2026 congressional election campaign has effectively begun—with Trump at risk of losing the House majority, potentially triggering impeachments and new legal battles. If he retains his title as the "worst" president by then, major trouble awaits.

This campaign will also test whether America’s "rightward turn" is real or merely part of a long-observed pendulum swing in U.S. political consciousness—from rapid liberal reforms back to more traditional, conservative values. As American analysts have often noted, it may simply be "conservative weather"—cyclones and fronts within a fundamentally "liberal climate."