THIS CLASS WILL BEGIN ON MAY 4TH – Press the White Triangle to Begin
Debate – The Trump Presidency: Total Disaster or Conservative Advancement?
Jeffrey Engel | Southern Methodist University
Alan Lowe | Former Director – George Bush Presidential Library
Moderated by: Richard Davies, Former Announcer | CBS News
A year after President Donald Trump left office, 38% of Americans say he made progress toward solving major problems facing the country during his administration, while a nearly identical share (37%) say he made these problems worse. Another 15% say Trump tried but failed to solve the nation’s problems, while 10% say he did not address them. Looking back at Trump’s term, just over half of Americans (53%) rate Trump’s presidency as below average – including 41% who say he was a “terrible” president. About a third (35%) rate his presidency as above average, including 17% who say he was a “great” president.
The partisan divide over Trump’s legacy is more pronounced than it was for past presidents in surveys conducted in the last months of their presidencies. But what’s the truth, according to Presidential scholars? Well, even that depends on who you ask. In this first-time ever One Day University debate, both sides of this highly controversial issue will be addressed.
Jeffrey Engel is the founding director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University. He has taught at Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, Haverford College, and Texas A&M University. He has authored/edited thirteen books on American foreign policy, most recently, When the World Seemed New: George H. Bush and the Surprisingly Peaceful End of the Cold War.
Alan C. Lowe served as the founding Executive Director of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee. From 2009 to 2016, Lowe served as founding Director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. In that role, he managed all aspects of the Library and Museum’s operations, and was part of the team that oversaw the design and construction of the new Bush Library and Museum facility on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
In July 2016, Lowe was appointed as Executive Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. He oversees all elements of that agency’s operations, all with the mission of perpetuating and learning from the enduring legacy of President Lincoln and the rich history of Illinois.