The opening weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency could not have begun in a more controversial or alarming fashion, marked by a barrage of measures that may carry severe and lasting consequences—perhaps even irreversible effects—on liberty, economic stability, free trade, peace, security, and geopolitical stability. To fully grasp their impact and legacy, it is chilling to observe that Trump 2.0 is treading the disastrous and dramatic path of two former presidents, James Buchanan (1857–1860) and Herbert Hoover (1929–1933), whose tragic and catastrophic legacies have been condemned by history, earning them a prominent place in its dustbin.

Both stand in stark contrast to Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan, two champions of liberty, free trade, and resolute leadership of the free world. The former, a true architect of the transatlantic bond, father of NATO, and defender of Europe; the latter, an unwavering advocate of the values shared by all liberal democracies, the most brilliant standard-bearer of the alliance with Europe, and a tireless fighter for the freedom of Eastern European peoples languishing under the brutal, unrelenting, and murderous yoke of the Soviet-communist bloc and its ruthless master, the USSR.

James Buchanan: The Dramatic Shadow of the Devastating Divide of the Civil War
Buchanan, the fifteenth president of the United States, is remembered for his failure to prevent the Civil War—a conflict that tore the nation apart with fratricidal hatred that lingered for over a century and left wounds that never fully healed. His administration was defined by political polarization and the creation of a submissive cabinet incapable of challenging the president or warning him of the irreparable consequences of his policies. Cowardice and subservience to a power that demands loyalty to the leader over the nation, and submission to authority, pave a direct road to disaster. And so it was.
In this regard, striking parallels emerge with Trump’s administration. The former president’s tendency to surround himself with department secretaries and advisers of blind loyalty, unwilling to question their boss or caution him against the risks of his outlandish decisions, is telling. The problem is compounded by the fact that all were appointed for sharing a vision—nearly a worldview, though that term would overstate its gravity—identical to that of their leader. This, without ever questioning the origins, rationale (if one can call it that), causes, or consequences of the president’s orders, with most mimicking his contentious and divisive leadership style.

Political polarization, amplified by social media and the press, has been a hallmark of the Trump era, evoking the tense atmosphere that preceded the Civil War. As historian David Blight noted, “Buchanan’s inability to unite the country serves as a reminder of what can happen when leadership becomes a power play rather than an effort toward unity.”

Herbert Hoover: The Perfect Storm of Protectionist Policies
Hoover, the thirty-first president, is infamous for his stewardship, widely regarded as the primary cause of the Great Depression. His economic policies, including the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which imposed sweeping and indiscriminate protectionist tariffs, were the root cause of transforming a recession into a fateful depression.

Trump’s trade wars, with tariffs levied on Canada and Mexico (its key trading partners), Europe—the world’s most significant club of liberal democracies and its largest consumer market—are nothing short of an economic, political, and historical blunder, impossible to justify or even explain. Tariffs on China and other nations will drive up the cost of living and spark a dangerous inflationary spiral that will be exceedingly difficult to tame. All of this recalls Hoover’s protectionist policies, sending shivers down the spine when one considers their outcomes. True, today’s economic circumstances differ, but the risk of triggering a tariff war and its devastating economic fallout bears a striking resemblance.

Dwight Eisenhower: The First Republican Internationalist and His Enduring Legacy
Eisenhower, the thirty-fourth president of the United States, was a staunch advocate of internationalism and multilateral cooperation as the most effective means of shielding democracies from communist tyranny and its offspring, the brutal Soviet regime. His leadership during the Cold War was defined by the forging of robust alliances, such as NATO—of which he was the chief architect—and the promotion of free trade as a cornerstone of prosperity and liberty.

Trump’s isolationist stance stands in sharp contrast to Eisenhower’s internationalism. The latter famously declared, “Peace cannot be maintained by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” Far from the naive pacifism falsely attributed to many 21st-century leaders, this was a conviction born from the heart of a man who understood, better than most, the devastating consequences of war—a war he sought to avert without compromising the defense of liberty, surrender, or the credible deterrence that only prudent and steady strength can provide.

Ronald Reagan: The Defender of Liberty and the Free Market
Reagan, the fortieth president, was a passionate proponent of the free market and the then-nascent globalization. His radio addresses in March and November 1988—veritable gems of political and economic liberalism—underscored the vital role of free trade in fostering liberty and prosperity.
While Reagan championed economic openness and the reduction of trade barriers, Trump pursued a rigidly protectionist approach with catastrophic economic consequences for all. In his speeches, Reagan asserted, “Free trade is a path to peace and prosperity,” and “Tariff barriers are the very negation of the founding principles of the United States.”

The comparison between Buchanan and Hoover—whose footsteps President Trump appears to follow—and Eisenhower and Reagan reveals that this U.S. administration is a far cry, almost the antithesis, of those who have been true champions of liberty and free trade as its driver, the most effective engine of prosperity and progress for humanity.

Gustavo de Arístegui is a Spanish Diplomat and was Spain’s ambassador to India (2012-2016).

(Cover Photo: Donald Trump, Photo Credit: @POTUS/Twitter)

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