The Ulysses S. Grant / Donald J. Trump Presidencies

By many ways of military evaluation General Grant was more than a reasonably successful general of armies, especially if one discounts the high causality rates that his campaigns generated. In any event historians tend to credit Grant and Lincoln most for winning the American Civil War and saving the Union.

As a businessman, however, like Trump, Grant was a bust. Only in Trump’s case his road to numerous bankruptcies was back by his father’s and the many bank’s (with poor judgment) hundreds of millions.

It is reported that Trump intends to give his chief underlings a long leash. Grant with no head for business ran his administration the same way.

The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant overflowed with scandals and fraudulent activities. His cabinet was in continual transition, infested by forces of political corruption. President Grant was ever trusting of associates that he considered loyal to him. The standards in many of Grant’s appointments were low, and charges of corruption were widespread.

Starting with the Black Friday (1869) gold speculation ring, corruption would be discovered during Grant’s two presidential terms in seven federal departments — the Navy, Justice, War, Treasury, Interior, State, and the Post Office.

As it appears it will be with Trump, nepotism during Grant’s terms was prevalent, with over 40 family members benefitting from government appointments and employment. The prevalent corruption in the Grant Administration was eventually called Grantism.

At present if one wanted to speculate as to what administration the Trump administration might eventually most resemble, one might be wise to suggest the scandal ridden Grant administration.