List of controversies of recent U.S. Presidents
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Donald Trump has had historic levels of controversies for recent presidents of the United States by some metrics. Some of his hiring decisions have been criticized due to relatively high level of scandals and legal trouble.[1][2] Turnover in the Trump administration was the highest of all presidents since Brookings Institution started measuring in 1980.[3] According to some historians, Trump has received criticism from former officials at levels not seen over the last hundred years.[4] Nepotism has also risen as a point of comparison across administrations, with Trump having more family members in prominent roles than recent presidents.[5] Trump was the first president indicted on criminal charges in 160 years,[6] the first convicted of a felony and the first to be impeached twice.[7] Trump was the only living president listed in U.S. News & World Report's 2024 list of the 10 worst presidents, coming in at number 3.[8]
Personnel
[edit]A President of the United States hires staff for his campaign and administration, though some also hire staff for personal businesses. Some presidents have received significant criticisms about their staff due to accusations of nepotism, corruption, criminality or a high turnover rate. Some former staff or appointees have also criticized the actions of the President that hired them.
Ethics / scandals
[edit]Ethics scandals in government include conflicts of interest, improper use of government funds, hiring of unqualified or unconfirmed personnel, or other controversies that lead to firings, calls for resignation or removal by a judge.
Significant criticism by current or former personnel
[edit]USA Today interviewed three presidential historians and a political scientist about how usual the amount of criticism Trump has gotten from former officials who served under him who reported that it had no historical precedent in the last century.[4] The Washington Post said that no president had ever drawn more detractors from inside his inner-circle.[92] CNN said that "No person in US politics – certainly no recent president – has such an expansive list of high-profile allies turned enemies."[93] PBS described it as, "without precedent in the modern era."[94]
Nepotism
[edit]Nepotism is more often associated with dictatorships who centralize power in unqualified family members.[5]
In 1967, a Federal anti-nepotism statute was passed after John F. Kennedy appointed his brother Robert F. Kennedy as Attorney General.[95]
Presidential transition
[edit]Trump's 2016 presidential transition set a 'low bar' for modern transitions according to Max Stier, followed by George H. W. Bush.[96][97] Trump's 2024 transition team officially started in August, which is considered unusually late as most transition efforts start in the late spring.[98]
Impeachments and 14th Amendment
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/DC_Capitol_Storming_IMG_7956.jpg/220px-DC_Capitol_Storming_IMG_7956.jpg)
Donald Trump was impeached in 2019 and again in 2021 in the House. Not enough Republicans in the Senate voted to remove Trump from office after either impeachment.[99]
Discussion also swirled around Trump's eligibility to run for President in 2024 following the January 6th attack on the Capitol. In 2024, the Supreme Court overturned Colorado's interpretation of the 14th Amendment to remove Trump.
Conflicts of interest
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/President_Trump_at_the_G20_%2848144047611%29.jpg/220px-President_Trump_at_the_G20_%2848144047611%29.jpg)
Biden
[edit]Trump
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Donald_Trump_number_of_companies_by_country_worldwide_map.svg/220px-Donald_Trump_number_of_companies_by_country_worldwide_map.svg.png)
The tax returns of Donald Trump became an early source of interest for those concerned about potential conflicts of interest when Trump was a candidate for President.[101][102][103][104] While not required, it was the norm since it leaked that Richard Nixon had underpaid some of his taxes.[a] Nancy Pelosi raised concerns about his $400 million debt and who might own it and thus have leverage over the president.[107]
Lobbying
[edit]Trump
[edit]Obama
[edit]Transparency
[edit]Trump
[edit]Obama
[edit]See also
[edit]- Democratic backsliding in the United States § Unitary executive theory
- Drain the swamp
- Historical rankings of presidents of the United States
Notes
[edit]- ^ There is no law requiring public disclosure of tax information for presidents or presidential candidates, but all major-party candidates and all presidents have done so since Richard Nixon's underpayment of taxes was revealed in a leak.[105][106]
References
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- ^ a b Tenpas, Kathryn Dunn (March 19, 2024). "Tracking turnover in the Biden administration". Brookings. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ a b c Anderson, Zac (April 12, 2024). "'Unprecedented' and 'stunning' number of Trump administration alums oppose his reelection". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
The sheer number of Trump officials − a minimum of 16 − speaking out against their former boss, and the severity of their criticism, is highly unusual. It has no historical precedent in the last century, according to three presidential historians and a political scientist interviewed by USA TODAY.
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No president has ever attracted more public detractors who were formerly in his inner circle... Among them are his former vice president, top military advisers, lawyers, some members of his Cabinet, economic advisers, press officials and campaign aides, some of whom are working for other candidates.
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No person in US politics – certainly no recent president – has such an expansive list of high-profile allies turned enemies.
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