History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes
By Jeff Schaeper, MFEI Chief of Operations | February 17, 2024
Until Donald J. Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, only one other president had served two, non-consecutive terms — Grover Cleveland (1885-1889/1893-1897). Even though there are 125 years between their administrations, these two presidents share many similarities, including the political circumstances under which they were elected.
Trump and Cleveland were elected on populist platforms to clean up a corrupt, non-responsive government bureaucracy. Trump’s motto was “Drain the Swamp.” For Cleveland, the corruption target was New York City’s Tammany Hall and its spoils system.
In their first term campaigns, both presidents ran against corrupt politicians. Cleveland defeated James Blaine who got rich from side deals (sound familiar?) with the railroad companies. Trump defeated Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation war chest.
Aided by what many believed were sketchy voting practices, both men were bounced from office in their re-election bids. They shared the self-confidence and determination to run again four years later and came back stronger, each with a mandate from the people to finish their agendas.
Both fought against government and business corruption. Both were re-elected after their successor wildly increased spending and made people poorer with inflation. Both worked to trim the size of the federal government over strenuous objections from Congress, entrenched business interests, and civil servants.
Both Cleveland and Trump used tariffs to protect and support U.S. industries, and the two took on the prevailing economic giants of their day. Cleveland established the Federal Trade Commission to tame the railroads; whereas Trump is taking on the Information Industry.
The two men were non-interventionist. Cleveland opposed the annexation of Hawaii and various Latin American adventures. Trump is known for bringing wars to an end.
Both believed in peace through strength, advocating for a strong and modernized military. As John Quincy Adams, the 6th U.S. President said, America “goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy,”
Trump believes in the Monroe Doctrine, as did Cleveland, and both warned outside countries to keep their hands off matters in the Americas.
With regard to monetary policy, Cleveland is often underappreciated for his strong belief in maintaining the integrity of the nation’s currency. Compare to Trump’s hints of bringing back the gold standard and abolishing the Federal Reserve system.
On a personal level, Cleveland and Trump also share similarities. Both were New York Presbyterians. While Cleveland was born in New Jersey, his family moved to New York in early childhood, and that is where he began his political career. Cleveland’s father was a Presbyterian minister; Trump, until recently, also identified as a Presbyterian.
Each man was forced to address personal scandals. In Cleveland’s case he had a child out of wedlock though he recognized him legally as his own. In his first election, his opponents had a campaign slogan: “Ma, Ma, where’s my Pa?” After Cleveland won the election, the retort was: “In the White House, ha, ha, ha!”
Both men avoided conscription. Cleveland paid a bounty for someone to take his place in the Civil War draft, while Trump had a college deferment and later was on restricted draft status due to bone spurs.
There are some differences. Trump never held elected office before becoming president, while Cleveland was a seasoned politician. He had been New York City mayor and the Empire State’s governor before becoming president. Trump’s allies, like Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., have power outside the political machine or administrative state.
Cleveland worked with his Treasury Secretary and cabinet to get things done. Trump is a talker; Cleveland was a man of few words. But the public knew how each man stood on the issues of the day and approved them — twice. Overall, the similarities outweigh the differences.
In terms of presidential stature, Grover Cleveland is regarded as a middling president due to the economic depression he inherited in his second term. The last chapters of Trump’s second term are yet to be written. While the temptation is great, it is too early to talk of Trump being added to Mount Rushmore’s pantheon of presidents. Let us wait for the Muse of History to set her quill on paper to record the deeds of our current president to see if he belongs with Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt.
Today, we celebrate President’s Day in honor of all presidents. Some were great, some excellent, some good; others were barely mediocre to outright pitiful. Let us appreciate the system of government that affords us the privilege of selecting our leaders and correcting the errors of the ballot box. We do this best when we stay informed and understand the candidates’ positions on all facets of governance.
Jeff Schaeper is a classically trained historian and Michigan Fair Elections Institute's Chief Operating Officer.
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