A month before election night 2016, then-President Barack Obama appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” reading mean tweets from various Twitter accounts criticizing him in a rude, yet hilarious fashion. In the last tweet from then-candidate Donald Trump, Obama read: “President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States!”

Obama replied: “Well @realDonaldTrump, at least I will go down as a president.” Oh, how times have changed.

For the last four years, and perhaps maybe four more depending on how the upcoming 2020 election turns out, Donald Trump has served as president of the United States. In one of the most unprecedented and highly analyzed administrations, Trump’s presidency is one like no other. No matter how you feel about him, one thing is for certain: Despite what Obama said four years ago, Trump will go down in history as a president.

During his time in the White House, Trump helped decrease the national unemployment rate, built a stronger economy, nominated three Supreme Court justices and increased America’s relationship with other countries. In time, Trump has also faced many obstacles.

They include investigations into his campaign due to possible Russian interference in the 2016 election which later proved false, an impeachment trial on two charges: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in which he was later acquitted by the Senate and continuously battling with Democrats whose main goal consists of removing him from office.

Most recently, Trump, like everyone else in the country, has faced the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. After spending most of 2020 without wearing a mask, he continued to host large campaign rallies to much criticism and made fun of election opponent Joe Biden for wearing a mask. Just last week, Trump shocked the country and possibly the world by announcing he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID, alongside many other top officials in his administration and campaign aides.

If Trump were to serve just four years or possibly four more, how will his legacy be defined? Will it be based on the good he’s done for the country, all of the struggles he’s faced so far, or his personality and character? At this point, who knows, but he will go down in history as a president.

Since its inception in 1789, 44 men have served as Commander-in-Chief, save for Grover Cleveland’s two non-consecutive terms. The likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt are always remembered among most everyone, though some former presidents not so much. Those include men like Millard Fillmore, Benjamin Harrison, Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge.

The presidents remembered the most accomplished more in office than those not well-known. So it seems, but every man who has ever served in the White House will go down in history as a president, no matter what their legacy will be.

As Trump’s legacy still lingers in the air, he will always be known for serving as president, no matter what anyone thinks of it.

Noah is a junior in the College of Media.

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