As Trump departs, scholars seek to understand his reign - and what it says about American democracy
David Nakamura, The Washington Post
Jan. 18, 2021
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Thousands of Trump supporters violently storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to support President Donald Trump s baseless claims that he won the election.Washington Post photo by Michael Robinson Chavez
WASHINGTON - More than 30,000 falsehoods and lies. Nearly 400,000 coronavirus deaths. Rising white nationalism. Financial self-dealing. A social media ban. Two impeachments. A deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.
President Donald Trump s four years in office come to a close Wednesday after a reign defined by constant chaos, corruption and scandal, a tenure that numerous scholars predict is destined to rank him among America s worst presidents.
President Trump’s attacks on civic institutions, sowing of social divisions, trampling of political norms and broadsides against the free press have raised questions about the endurance of the values the United States has long professed to cherish.