Gordon L. Weil
They both made their wealth in real estate.
They both were considered “the greatest” in their lifetime, one called that by himself and the other called that by everyone else.
One named buildings and golf courses after himself. The other had the nation’s capital and a state named after him by grateful Americans.
One was Donald Trump, the most recent ex-president, and the other was George Washington, the first president. The latest and the first.
Each year, I pay tribute in this space to Washington on the occasion of the national holiday still officially called “Washington’s Birthday,” not the commercial “Presidents’ Day.” It is particularly timely to recall Washington as Trump’s historic second impeachment trial takes place.
The contrasts are stark between the man who dedicated his presidency to the service of his country and the man who dedicated his presidency to the service of his ambition.
Washington reluctantly served as president but for only two terms, a custom that became a constitutional amendment. Trump, believing he would be elected to a second term, mused that he would “negotiate” a third term to compensate him for facing charges that the Russians helped him win the first time.
Trump encouraged insurrection against Congress, urging supporters of his lost election cause to intimidate Vice President Pence and Congress, then meeting in the Capitol, into ignoring millions of votes and handing him a second term.
Washington fought insurrection by leading troops to put down an uprising against an early and unpopular federal excise tax adopted by Congress.
Trump adopted openly anti-Muslim policies and supported anti-Black and anti-Semitic groups.
Washington owned slaves. He ordered that they be freed right after he died, and they were. That occurred six decades before the start of the Civil War. If the country divided over slavery, he told a friend that he would align with the free northern states, not his Virginia home.
Washington sought conflicting opinions before making presidential decisions. He included in his cabinet both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, opponents over the size and role of government. Washington shared Hamilton’s view on a strong federal government. But he did not attack Jefferson, even when attacked by his fellow Virginian.
Trump also supported a strong federal government. He demanded loyalty from his appointees and brooked no dissent. When a person’s opinion differed from the president’s, he was “fired” and subjected to withering personal criticism.
While Washington refused to exploit his national prestige at the expense of the other branches of government or his subordinates, Trump saw the federal government in personal terms. A French king once said, “I am the state.” That seemed to be Trump’s style as well.
Trump and Washington were unusual among presidents in heading outside economic enterprises while serving in office. It’s likely they were among the wealthiest presidents. Trump tried to justify his business activities by making the ludicrous claim that Washington had two desks – a government desk and a business desk.
Washington devoted himself to the presidency from behind his single desk and ignored his property interests. Trump undoubtedly gained from his presidency. The first president donated his salary for the operation of his federal office. The latest president claimed to have donated his pay, but without access to his tax returns, that cannot be verified.
Children have been taught to tell the truth by the recounting of an obviously fanciful tale of the young Washington having chopped down a cherry tree and then admitting it because, he said, “I cannot tell a lie.”
Of course, nobody can entirely avoid lying, including Washington. But the U.S. has never had a president like Trump whose persistent lies were the hallmark of his public statements. The Washington Post Fact Checker counted 30,573 distinct falsehoods in his single term.
A few years ago, a survey supposedly revealed that a significant segment of the American population thought Trump was a greater president than Washington. His partisans idolize him. He expressed the hope that his image could be added to the Mt. Rushmore depiction of great presidents.
Trump has been impeached twice. But, in the end, it is not your face on Mt. Rushmore or even the verdict of Congress that counts. It is the verdict of history, and that comes slowly.
The importance of his impeachments, his encouragement of the insurrectionists, and his deadly failure to deal with Covid-19 will contribute much to the judgment of history, which is more than an academic exercise. It is the ultimate report card and a lesson for future American leaders.
George Washington led the country in war and peace as it was formed. History records that his care, competence and commitment helped create a democratic system that, so far, has withstood the challenges of a president like Trump.
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