Donald Trump broke a 131-year-old record with his re-election today.
Trump becomes the first president in 131 years to be re-elected after a loss, meaning that, after losing the White House and being out of office, he has returned and won it again.
To be more precise, Trump is the second politician to secure non-consecutive terms as U.S. President, with the first being Grover Cleveland in 1892.
Specifically, Trump, who served as U.S. President from 2017 to 2021, repeats the feat previously achieved by Grover Cleveland, who served two non-consecutive terms as U.S. President between 1885-1889 and 1893-1897.
Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the country, serving first from 1885 to 1889 and again from 1893 to 1897. This achievement made him – or rather had made him until now – the only president to hold two separate terms.
In the 1888 election, Cleveland, a Democrat, narrowly lost to Republican Benjamin Harrison. However, unlike Trump, he had won the popular vote by a margin of over 90,000 votes. Four years later, he made a triumphant comeback, winning 277 of the 444 electoral votes.
Cleveland remained unique in American history for his ability to win public trust and be re-elected after a four-year absence, a rare occurrence in U.S. politics.
Finally, Donald Trump achieved the same, 131 years after Cleveland’s re-election.
The similarities between Trump and Cleveland extend beyond winning non-consecutive terms.
Like Trump, Cleveland was from New York. Neither had served in federal administration or the U.S. Congress before becoming president. During their first campaigns, both were seen as political “outsiders,” promising to clean up the “corrupt” system in Washington. Both had to confront strong opponents to win non-consecutive terms.
Translated from: news247.gr
Also read: Why are the Democrats “donkeys” and the Republicans “elephants”?
