Donald Trump/ Abraham Lincoln/ presidential legacy/ Trump comparisons/ election 2024/ historical figures/ Newslooks/ SPRINGFIELD/ Ill./ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Former President Donald Trump has frequently drawn comparisons between himself and Abraham Lincoln throughout his political career. From claiming he’s been treated worse than Lincoln to suggesting he’s accomplished more for Black Americans since the Emancipation Proclamation, Trump’s self-proclaimed similarities to Lincoln reflect his desire to shape his presidential legacy. Experts suggest Trump’s comparisons often lack historical nuance, as he alternates between admiration and criticism of Lincoln.
Trump’s Lincoln Comparisons: Quick Looks
- Main Comparisons: Trump claims he’s done more for Black Americans than Lincoln and has faced harsher treatment.
- Historical Claims: Trump questions whether the Civil War was avoidable, claiming better negotiation could have prevented it.
- Expert Insights: Scholars suggest Trump’s comparisons are unique and reflect his quest for legacy building.
- Historical Legacy: Lincoln’s role as the “Great Emancipator” and his impact on abolition contrast sharply with Trump’s rhetoric.
- Political Use: Presidential comparisons aren’t new, but Trump’s approach often lacks the subtlety seen with other presidents.
Why Trump Frequently Compares Himself to Abraham Lincoln
Deep Look
In his unique political style, former President Donald Trump has frequently drawn comparisons between himself and Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, as he campaigns for the 2024 election. From suggesting he’s “treated worse than Lincoln” to saying he’s accomplished more for Black Americans than any president since Lincoln, Trump’s assertions highlight his desire to influence his legacy among historical giants. Trump, who often refers to himself as “hopefully your favorite president of all time,” has also quipped that he’s “better than Lincoln, better than Washington.”
For Trump, Lincoln’s name frequently emerges in his speeches as a reference point for perceived adversity and achievement. During a recent rally in California, Trump criticized Vice President Kamala Harris by contrasting Lincoln’s character with what he considers today’s political decline, asking, “What the hell is wrong with our country? We used to have Abraham Lincoln.”
In a separate incident, a young caller on “Fox & Friends” asked Trump about his favorite president, to which he replied with a nod to Ronald Reagan before shifting the conversation to Lincoln. Trump even revisited Lincoln’s Civil War era, suggesting that the conflict might have been avoided, saying, “Lincoln was probably a great president, although I’ve always said, why wasn’t that settled?” He remarked that, in his view, the conflict did not “make sense,” sparking debates among historians about his understanding of the complexities of American history.
Harold Holzer, a respected Lincoln scholar and chair of the Lincoln Forum, remarked that Trump’s Lincoln references are marked by a sense of unpredictability and, at times, self-contradiction. “There’s a kind of malice,” Holzer observed, as Trump’s references to Lincoln veer between admiration and critique. While Trump’s comparisons are distinct, they aren’t unprecedented; many presidents have referenced Lincoln as a model of resilience and unity. But Holzer points out that most leaders respect Lincoln’s legacy without comparing their accomplishments directly to his.
Former President Barack Obama famously evoked Lincoln’s legacy when he announced his presidential campaign in Springfield, Illinois, where Lincoln served in the Illinois House of Representatives. At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Obama again invoked Lincoln’s vision of unity by calling on Americans to embrace “the better angels of our nature,” a phrase Lincoln used in his first inaugural address. Former President Gerald Ford also alluded to Lincoln’s legacy when he assumed office amid the Watergate scandal, declaring, “I’m a Ford, not a Lincoln,” as a way to manage public expectations.
Presidential scholar Justin Vaughn notes that while presidents often reference their predecessors, Trump’s method is unique in its boldness, adding, “Trump’s approach to referencing Lincoln is often less nuanced or delicate.” Vaughn believes that Trump’s references to Lincoln reflect a strong drive to shape his public legacy, hoping to be seen in the same light as figures like Reagan and Lincoln. Vaughn’s Presidential Greatness Project, a survey of historians, ranks Lincoln as America’s top president, while Trump has been consistently ranked last.
One of Trump’s most contentious claims has been that he’s done more for Black Americans than any president since Lincoln. Citing criminal justice reforms and opportunity zones aimed at low-income communities, Trump has frequently claimed his administration had a transformative impact. Yet historians highlight Lincoln’s monumental contributions to Black Americans, particularly through the Emancipation Proclamation and his tireless advocacy for the 13th Amendment, which permanently abolished slavery in the United States.
Daina Ramey Berry, a professor and expert on the history of slavery, underscores the significance of Lincoln’s work, noting that while the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately end slavery, it marked a pivotal moment in American history. “People saw Lincoln as the Great Emancipator and an advocate for unity and freedom,” Berry explains. She notes that Lincoln’s historical actions cannot be easily equated with Trump’s modern-day claims.
Trump’s fascination with Lincoln’s legacy also intersects with his ongoing attempts to define his stance on contentious issues. For instance, while he has praised Lincoln’s achievements, Trump has simultaneously questioned the necessity of the Civil War—a viewpoint historians say reflects a lack of understanding of the nation’s entrenched divisions over slavery. Historians contend that the Civil War was a necessary conflict to resolve the country’s fundamental moral divides.
“Better negotiators than Donald Trump, including Henry Clay, tried to solve the sectional crisis without success,” noted Holzer, who points out that any hope of averting conflict overlooked the deeply embedded structures and injustices of slavery.
In his campaign speeches, Trump often pivots from Lincoln to contemporary criticisms of Democratic leaders, including Biden and Harris. He suggests that Biden’s tenure has worsened the country, even stating at times that former President Jimmy Carter might feel relieved seeing Biden’s challenges. Trump’s statements about Lincoln, much like his broader rhetoric, are interwoven with his claims of superior leadership and grievance-based criticisms of his political rivals.
Trump’s self-comparisons to Lincoln offer a window into his desire to align himself with revered figures, casting his personal and political struggles in historic terms. Lincoln biographers speculate that while Lincoln, a famously humble and self-deprecating leader, might have reacted differently to such comparisons, he likely would have approached the situation with his characteristic wit. Historians recount a story about Lincoln’s legal colleague, Ward Hill Lamon, who ripped his pants just before a court session. Lincoln, instead of contributing money, famously placed a note in the collection hat that read, “I can contribute nothing to the end in view,” a response blending wit with modesty—qualities historians suggest are seldom seen in Trump’s rhetoric.
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