Top 10 Most Overrated U.S. Presidents
Some presidents have legacies that outshine their actual accomplishments. Here they are.
Ronald Wilson Reagan (1911-2004) was an American politician and actor who was 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989 . Prior to his presidency, he was the 33rd Governor of California from 1967 to 1975, following a career as a Hollywood actor and union leader until his death in 2004 Thank God he's number one on this list. Let's start with the fact that 138 members of his administration were indicted or convicted of crimes. Reaganomics obliterated the middle class. He completely ignored the AIDS crisis, made the war on drugs ten times worse, and is responsible for the worst scandal in American foreign policy history.
He took credit for an already collapsing Soviet Union and flooded the White House with hyper-conservative, white supremacist, evangelical conspiracy theorists. And the worst part is, we still think he's a great president!
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, commonly known as FDR, was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1933 to 1945. A Democrat, he won a record four presidential elections and dominated his party for many years as a central figure in world events... read more If I'm not wrong, FDR may have exacerbated the Great Depression by seven years. He also oversaw the internment camps for Japanese Americans, wanted to pack the Supreme Court in his favor (I don't think the Supreme Court should even be partisan to begin with in any way), wanted to confiscate gold to the Federal Reserve, and stayed neutral when the Nazis were clearly committing inhumane aggression until it took Pearl Harbor to get us involved.
He was generally among our more authoritarian presidents. I never liked his weird relationship with Stalin either. Not a very good president. His World War II leadership was, of course, a big boost - I do not deny that - but to say his authoritarian tendencies were not there is wrong.
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York) is an American businessman, television personality, politician, and the 45th and 47th President of the United States... read more He is not first because the topic is most overrated and not worst president. With the majority of Americans realizing he is the worst President in history, he can only be overrated by the minority of racists.
This list is for actual presidents, not morons who think they're actual presidents.
He said Nambia is a country... then he said he meant Narnia. Both aren't countries. He is dumb like my teacher.
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He was the first African-American president of the United States... read more Barack Obama is not just overrated. He's downright terrible. His Affordable Care Act was a disaster. He killed many innocent people with his obsession with drone warfare, launching strikes every 1.3 weeks! He should be #1. Ronald Reagan and Franklin Delano Roosevelt may have made some mistakes, but Barack Obama is much worse.
I don't consider him to be "the worst president" of the US, but he is definitely overrated. He's treated like a saint by Democrats just because he "talked nicely," but he skyrocketed the national debt and created many complications with Obamacare.
Now that Joe Biden is president, I can say that he'll be even worse than Obama due to his diminishing mental capacity.
Andrew Jackson was an American statesman who served as the seventh President of the United States from 1829 to 1837 . He was born near the end of the colonial era, somewhere near the then-unmarked border between North and South Carolina, into a recently immigrated Scots-Irish farming family of relatively... read more Jackson did long-term damage to the United States. He made the federal government corrupt for almost 100 years by introducing the spoils system (giving government jobs to his supporters), decentralized the banking system, had an authoritarian disposition, promoted demagogic populism, and had a total disregard for the rule of law (ignoring a Supreme Court ruling). His presidency and legacy were a disaster, not to mention his support for slavery.
He is so bad. I don't like swearing, and I don't like it when people swear, but he had a parrot named Poll that repeated his swear words! And he swore when he was angry.
That doesn't necessarily mean he's bad, but I just think that's funny.
George Washington (February 22, 1732– December 14, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of the Continental Army, Washington led the Patriot... read more The only thing this man did right or above average in the war was morale. He had this idealistic view that the war would have a romantic ending in New York, and he could not get over the fact for years that it was not going to happen.
He was a hubristic man because he preferred fighting in the traditional style in which he was obviously losing. Even when his brilliant generals under him decided he should adopt a war of posts or a Fabian tactic, he was reluctant. He was impressive, however, at Valley Forge, even though he was not exceptional. People regarded him almost as a deity, and this facade gave the militiamen something to believe in. At most, he was a mascot or a cheerleader of a football team.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29th, 1917 - November 22, 1963) commonly referred to by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th President of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination. The Cuban Missile Crisis, The Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Nuclear Test Ban... read more People rate him highly for two shallow reasons: he was assassinated, and he was attractive/charismatic. He wasn't a bad president, but he also wasn't one of the greats. He was inexperienced and lackadaisical, and frankly not very accomplished.
There is no doubt that he is one of the most popular and well-known Presidents. He was beloved by all the people. You know that he was a womanizer, but still, you can't help but excuse that because you are lured by his charm. Yes, he was handsome! But still, you can't count him as a very great president.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th President of the United States from 1913 to 1921. Born in Staunton, Virginia, he spent his early years in Augusta, Georgia and Columbia, South Carolina. He was racist and allowed the European powers to put Germany in shambles, causing the rise of fascism in Germany, which led to World War II.
Woodrow Wilson was a zero-sugar Mussolini. His racial views were egregious, segregating the Federal Government and implementing other general Jim Crow-ish measures. He also screened 'Birth of a Nation' at the White House when the Ku Klux Klan was at its peak.
During the Palmer Raids, thousands of people were arrested and deported without so much as a warrant. While this followed attempted assassinations, it was complete overkill. Wilson helped establish the APL and CPI with the expressed purpose of monitoring and suppressing dissent, resulting in many Americans being intimidated, harassed, and incarcerated for simple free speech. Then there was the debauchery of the Sedition Act. It became a crime to so much as speak out against the Government, Constitution, Flag, and Military. We can't forget the Espionage Act either.
Perhaps the worst aspect of Wilson is how his geopolitical policies played out, potentially setting the stage for World War II. He helped set the conditions for the Treaty of Versailles that Hitler later rallied against. He left territorial and economic problems unsolved, which Communists and Fascists capitalized on. His isolationist legacy allowed the rise of totalitarianism in Europe and Asia and allowed them to go unchecked.
Wilson was a horrid president, to say the least.
Lyndon Baines Johnson, often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th President of the United States from 1963 to 1969. The Great Society did not go as intended. It made people reliant on the government while spending so much money to no avail.
He also sent us to Vietnam over a lie.
While FDR and especially Truman wanted and achieved federal benefits and aid, this man knowingly opened the floodgates to absolute federal dependence. Too many people abuse every help given to them and still expect more. His tombstone should read, "The taxpayer will pick up the bill."
Yes, his racial and domestic progress is wonderful, but he's the president who started this snowball turned avalanche we call a debt.
By the way, Reagan doesn't belong on any overrated list with at least 20 candidates. He did inherit Jimmy Carter's pathetic tenure. But it was more than that - the transparency, the assurance only he could deliver, and the fact that the man won. Winning every single deal was premeditated.
Thomas Jefferson was an American Founding Father who was principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and served as the 3rd President of the United States from 1801-1809. He was born on April 13, 1743, and died on July 4, 1826, on the same day 2nd United States President John Adams died. People rate him highly because of the Louisiana Purchase, but this was a matter of luck more than his actions. His embargo was a complete disaster, and he underfunded our navy, with devastating consequences for U.S. influence in the world and performance during the War of 1812. He was also (to use a 20th-century term) basically a tankie for revolutionary France, and a slave owner.
Most of his policies were disastrous, and even his successes required others to carry the heavy load for him.
The Newcomers
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who is the 46th president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 under President Barack Obama and represented Delaware in the United States Senate from... read more
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States from 1877 to 1881, an American congressman, and governor of Ohio. Hayes was a lawyer and staunch abolitionist who defended runaway slaves in court proceedings.
George Walker Bush is an American politician and businessman who was born in July 6, 1946. He served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. He is the eldest son of Barbara and George H. W. I don't think the man did 9/11 or anything like that, but he and Obama destroyed our image on the world stage and set in the era of populist authoritarian politics. The beginning of it really started with him.
He lied about Iraq, got rid of Saddam (who was a horrible despot who needed to go regardless, I think) with no plan afterward, and attempted to force liberal democratic values on an area that didn't agree with them. He botched the response to Katrina and was particularly soft on leaders like Vladimir Putin.
William Jefferson Clinton (Born August 19th 1946) is an American politician who was the 42nd President of the United States. He previously served as governor of Arkansas. He became president after unseating incumbent president George H.W. Bush in 1992. He was re-elected in 1996 after defeating Senator... read more Lying under oath aside, Clinton seemed to run out of steam at the end of his presidency. The economy went down, and the federal government was hated more than ever.
Although his presidency might be too early to judge, the way the public approves of him might be inaccurate.
Theodore Roosevelt was an American statesman, author, explorer, soldier, naturalist, and reformer who served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. As a leader of the Republican Party during this time, he became a driving force for the Progressive Era in the United States in the... read more Although he changed how the government handled big business, TR was not the best when it came to actual legislation and solving problems. His greatest achievement might be the Meat Inspection Act, which was spurred by Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle."
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War and succeeded in preserving the Union, abolishing slavery,... read more Declared martial law without the consent of Congress. He drafted thousands of men to their deaths without consent and seems to get credit for the freeing of slaves, even though he didn't care at all about freeing them.
Worshipped in the media to condition people into accepting tyrants like Bush and Wilson.
Lincoln only opposed slavery for military and economic reasons, not because he thought it was morally wrong. He also opposed equal rights for blacks and wanted them deported back to Africa.
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr (October 1, 1924 - December 29, 2024) was an American politician and author who served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the Carter Center. Awful presidency. He may have had an energy policy, but much of his presidency was dominated by foreign affairs, and he actually escalated the Cold War.
Carter had huge indecision with the economy, switching his platform several times. He had no real authority or confidence in his presidency.
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 - December 26, 1972) was the 33rd President of the United States and an American politician from the Democratic Party. But also, China fell to Mao under his tenure. He fired MacArthur and scapegoated him for his own failures. He also passed the anti-lynching bill, which is not a problem on its own, but because of how mild the punishment was. The fine was $1,000-$5,000 and five years in prison for lynching. That is incredibly mild for actual murder. His handling of Israel-Palestine during Israel's birth and the early conflicts wasn't great.
George Herbert Walker Bush (June 12, 1924 - November 30, 2018) was an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Prior to assuming the presidency, Bush served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States under Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1989. "Read my lips. No new taxes."
Taxes are raised.
John Calvin Coolidge Jr. was an American politician and the 30th President of the United States. A Republican lawyer from New England, born in Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor.
James Knox Polk was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was Speaker of the House of Representatives and governor of Tennessee. It depends on what your opinion of a "good" president is. Polk did get a great amount of land from Mexico. However, he did so forcefully, which was a very poor act of imperialism. Although the ends were good, the means weren't as much.
Stole Mexican land by starting an unnecessary war. Bottom 10 in my opinion.
James Madison, Jr. was a political theorist, American statesman, and served as the fourth President of the United States.
John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 in Quincy, Massachusetts, United States. Adams served as the president of the United States from March 4, 1797 to March 4, 1801. He died on July 4, 1826 at the age of 90.
Ulysses S. Grant was an American soldier and statesman who served as Commanding General of the Army and the 18th President of the United States, the highest positions in the military and the government of the United States.
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States from 1969 until his resignation in 1974, the only president to resign from office. He had previously served as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961, and prior to that as a U.S. Representative and also Senator... read more Nothing that good really went on during his presidency. He abused the power of his role and didn't have a real exit strategy for Vietnam. Some people believe that Watergate overshadows his accomplishments as president, but there weren't many in the first place.
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. Johnson became president as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of [Abraham Lincoln].
Stephen Grover Cleveland was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 22nd and 24th President of the United States.
On January 20th, 2025, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President, joining Cleveland as the only presidents to serve non-consecutive terms. Garbage president, and even a worse human being.