ARYAN PUNJABI, Contributing Writer
Fifteen U.S. presidents have successfully completed two full terms. Of those fifteen, only two have a unique distinction: they won their first term, lost the second time, and then made a comeback in their third term. With a 132-year gap between their terms, the two presidents who achieved this feat are Stephen Grover Cleveland and Donald J. Trump.
Grover Cleveland served as the 22nd president from 1885 to 1889. He lost the 1888 election to Benjamin Harrison but made a comeback by winning the 1892 election, serving as the 24th president from 1893 to 1897.
Donald Trump served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021, losing the 2020 election to Joseph R. Biden Jr. He made a comeback by winning the 2024 election and will begin serving as the 47th president in 2025. Despite belonging to opposite parties, the two men's comebacks share some striking similarities.
Cleveland's toughness as governor and sheriff in New York earned him the support of Americans, leading him to win the 1884 election. His presidency was marked by many vetoes and stances favoring lower tariffs. These policies, however, contributed to his loss in the 1888 election to Benjamin Harrison.
After Harrison took office, Cleveland largely stayed out of politics until 1890 and 1891, when Harrison's high tariffs became a major issue for many Democrats. Cleveland had to fight hard for the 1892 Democratic nomination, as he faced serious competition from Senator David B. Hill (D-NY). YouTube channel Resynicated explains that “Cleveland had to highlight his previous presidency to strengthen his appeal and portray Hill as extremely corrupt.” Cleveland ultimately secured the nomination and defeated Harrison in 1892, becoming the first Democrat and the only person at that time to serve two non-consecutive terms. However, his second term was plagued by a financial panic.
Donald Trump entered the 2016 election as a well-known New York billionaire and celebrity, much like Ronald Reagan in 1980. He defeated many politicians in the primary to secure the Republican nomination. Polls showed that Trump was unlikely to win, but he triumphed over Hillary Clinton, becoming the first president with no military or political experience. Trump's key issues were illegal immigration and the economy. In the 2020 election, however, Trump lost to Democrat Joseph R. Biden due to mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When Biden took office in 2021, Trump didn't back down. He began planning to run again in 2024. Throughout the campaign and primaries, Trump expressed frustration with Biden over high inflation and the influx of illegal immigrants at the U.S. border. Trump faced four indictments and two assassination attempts between the spring of 2023 and the fall of 2024. In June 2024, Biden struggled in a debate with Trump and was viewed as too weak to run again. Kamala D. Harris, Biden’s vice president, became the Democratic nominee instead. Trump won the 2024 election by defeating Harris, securing all swing states and closely contesting some Democratic strongholds. This was the first time in 132 years, and the first time a Republican achieved this, where non-consecutive terms became a reality.
Cleveland and Trump share many similarities despite their party differences and non-consecutive terms. Both made their political cases in New York, advocated for limited government intervention, were accused of sexual misconduct, and called their opponents corrupt. They also made their first campaign's main issue the central focus of their third bid and were seen as outsiders. On tariffs, Cleveland opposed them, while Trump supported using them if necessary. NBTHS Vice Principal Zielinski said, "Both of these presidents were political figures during a time of thin margins of victory for the two major political parties in the United States. Election tactics were cutthroat, and national opinion was polarized. As an added and unusual facet, tariffs were a significant part of the campaign rhetoric."
In January 2025, the second non-consecutive term in American history will begin. The only question remains: Will this term be more successful than the first non-consecutive term in the late 1800s? Winning the election is only the first part; the second presidency is the most important.
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