History
Trump Compared to Other U.S. Presidents
Donald Trump is one of the most statistically unusual presidents in American history. Whether measured by age, electoral performance, legal history, or public opinion, his presidency occupies record-breaking territory in multiple categories. Here is how Trump compares to the 46 presidents who preceded him — by the numbers.
Age records
When Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term on January 20, 2025, he was 78 years old — making him the oldest person ever to begin a U.S. presidential term. He surpassed the previous record held by Joe Biden, who was 78 when inaugurated in January 2021.
By contrast, the youngest person to take office was Theodore Roosevelt, who became president at 42 after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901. The youngest person ever elected president was John F. Kennedy, who was 43 at his inauguration in 1961.
The non-consecutive terms record
Trump is only the second person in U.S. history to serve non-consecutive presidential terms. The first was Grover Cleveland, who served as the 22nd president (1885–1889), lost re-election to Benjamin Harrison, and then won the presidency again to serve as the 24th president (1893–1897).
This is why Trump holds two presidential numbers simultaneously: he is both the 45th president (his first term, 2017–2021) and the 47th president (his current term, 2025–2029). Joe Biden is the 46th, serving between Trump's two terms.
Impeachment record
Trump is the only president in American history to be impeached twice. The House of Representatives impeached him in December 2019 (on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to Ukraine) and again in January 2021 (on a charge of incitement of insurrection following the January 6th Capitol riot). He was acquitted by the Senate both times.
Before Trump, only two other presidents had been impeached: Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. Both were also acquitted by the Senate. Richard Nixon faced impeachment proceedings but resigned before the House voted.
Most impeachments
Trump: 2 impeachments (2019, 2021). Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton: 1 each. Nixon resigned before impeachment vote.
Electoral performance
In 2016, Trump won 306 electoral votes but lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by about 2.9 million votes. In 2020, he lost both the Electoral College (232 votes) and popular vote to Biden. In 2024, he won both the Electoral College and the popular vote — his first popular vote victory.
First president convicted of crimes
In May 2024, Trump became the first former U.S. president to be convicted of criminal charges, when a New York jury found him guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. He was sentenced in January 2025, just before his inauguration.
How Trump's presidency will be remembered
Historical assessments of presidencies tend to evolve over decades. What seems controversial in the moment often looks different with the perspective of time. That said, Trump's two terms already secure him a place in the historical record for the sheer number of firsts his presidency represents — positive and negative, depending on one's perspective.
When January 20, 2029 arrives and Trump's second term concludes, historians will have the full picture of an eight-year presidency spanning two separate terms — a combination that only one other person in American history has achieved. Track the exact time remaining with our live countdown clock.