Trump is the New Grover Cleveland, that’s Terrible
President-elect Donald J. Trump (R-Florida) has done something only one other U.S. president achieved. Like Grover Cleveland (D-New York) Trump has won two nonconsecutive terms. This could be terrible because Cleveland’s second-term was catastrophic.
Like Trump, Cleveland received three major party presidential nominations, 1884, 1888, and 1892. In 1884, Cleveland became the first Democrat elected president since 1856. Cleveland won the Electoral College by 219 votes to 182.
In 1888, Cleveland narrowly won the popular vote by a margin of 48.6% to 47.8%. However, Benjamin Harrison (R-Indiana) won the Electoral College by a margin of 233 to 168. Cleveland won both the popular vote and Electoral College votes in 1892. Harrison lost the 1892 popular vote by 46% to 43% and the Electoral College vote by 277 to 145.
Ironically, the big issue in 1892 was Harrison’s support of high-tariffs. One of Trump’s signature issues in 2024. Voters were angry because the McKinley Tariff raised consumer prices.
Cleveland’s Catastrophic Second Term
Cleveland’s second term began well. His party, the Democrats, had control of both houses of Congress and the electorate was supportive of his policies.
