In the United States of America, the President is considered the head of the government and the head of the states.
The President of the USA acts as the commander-in-chief in the USAF (United States Armed Forces) and directs the federal government’s executive branch.
The power of the U.S. President has grown since its formation and can heavily influence world politics and economics.
Key Takeaways
- Donald Trump, a Republican, focused on deregulation, tax cuts, and strict immigration policies, while Barack Obama, a Democrat, implemented policies such as the Affordable Care Act and increased environmental regulations.
- Trump’s foreign policy emphasized an “America First” approach, whereas Obama promoted international cooperation and diplomacy.
- Both presidents faced impeachment trials, with Trump being impeached twice and Obama facing an unsuccessful impeachment attempt.
Donald Trump vs Barack Obama
Donald Trump was elected President of the United States in 2016, known for his aggressive style, use of social media, and controversial policies. Obama was known for his calm and measured leadership style, use of technology, and landmark policies, such as the Affordable Care Act and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Donald Trump was the 45th President of the United States and was a member of the Republican party.
Trump was elected president in 2017 after a long-debated and controversial win by defeating his significant opposition Hillary Clinton from the Democratic party.
He was described as nationalist, isolationist, populist, and protectionist and was the first U.S. President who was impeached twice.
Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States and was a member of the Democratic party. He was elected president in 2009 and was the first African president of the country.
Obama has improved the economy and reputation of the United States. Obama’s Presidency was considered one of the country’s best Presidencies by many scholars and politicians.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Donald Trump | Barack Obama |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | The timeline of the Presidency of Donald Trump was from 2017 to 2021. | The timeline of Barack Obama’s Presidency was from 2009 to 2017. |
| Political party | Donald Trump was a President representing the Republican party. | Barack Obama was a President representing the Democratic party. |
| Healthcare | Donald Trump withdrew the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was considered the largest free trade agreement. | Barack Obama passed the ACA in 2010 to reduce the cost of health care. |
| Trade | Barack Obama negotiated the Trans-Pacific Partnership. | Barack Obama negotiated for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. |
| Climate change | Donald Trump withdrew the country from the PCA or Paris Climate Agreement. | Barack Obama finalized the PCA. |
What is Donald Trump?
Donald Trump was elected in 2017 as the 45th U.S. President. He was a President representing the Republican party. Early in his life, he was a businessman. He entered the Presidential race in 2016 as a member of the Republican party.
He was the first President of the United States who didn’t have any prior government or military service.
His win over the Democratic Party’s Hillary Clinton was controversial and faced massive protests. During his Presidency and campaign, he made several misleading and false statements and encouraged conspiracy theories.
He was the first U.S. President who was impeached twice, once for being related to the Ukraine scandal and abusing power in 2019 and once for “incitement of insurrection” in 2021.
Trump diverted funding towards building a wall on the border of Mexico and the U.S. and ordered a travel ban on citizens who came from Muslim-majority countries. He also implemented a family separation policy for apprehended migrants.
During his Presidency, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017 was passed, which started to cut taxes for businesses and individuals.
He pursued an America First agenda as his foreign policy. For this, he withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiation,, considered the most significant free trade agreement in the world.
In 2021 he lost the election to Joe Biden.
What is Barack Obama?
Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States who represented the Democratic party and served as President from 2009 to 2017. For the first time, an African-origin person became the President of the United States.
Previously he served as an Illinois state senator and a U.S. senator. Early in his life, he was an author and lawyer.
During his first two years of Presidency, Obama signed many landmark and influential bills into law. In 2010 he signed the ACA, or Affordable Care Act, to reduce the cost of health care. ACA used to provide health insurance to all citizens of the country.
He also negotiated the Trans-Pacific Partnership,, considered the largest free trade agreement in the world.
In 2010 he signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, which regulated many non-bank financial companies. He faced the recession of 2008-2009 and designed an excellent fiscal policy to defeat it.
He successfully created jobs in infrastructure and education and ended the recession in 2009. In 2009 he bailed out the auto industry of the United States.
General Motors and Chrysler were taken over by the federal government,, saving almost five million jobs.
He also contributed towards protecting the climate by finalizing the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. In this agreement, countries agreed to start carbon trading and reduce carbon emission.
Obama’s Presidency improved the economy and reputation of the United States.
Main Differences Between Donald Trump and Barack Obama
- The timeline of the Presidency of Donald Trump was from 2017 to 2021. On the other hand, the timeline of Barack Obama’s Presidency was from 2009 to 2017.
- Donald Trump was a President representing the Republican party, but Barack Obama was a President representing the Democratic party.
- Donald Trump intended to weaken the ACA or Affordable Care Act, increasing health care costs. Barack Obama passed the ACA in 2010 to reduce the cost of health care.
- Donald Trump withdrew the Trans-Pacific Partnership, considered the world’s largest free trade agreement. Barack Obama negotiated for the TPP or Trans-Pacific Partnership.
- Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. Barack Obama finalized the PCA.
- https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=donald+trump+presidency&oq=Donald+Trump+preside#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DlT-mXXrWqmwJ
- https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=barack+obama&oq=barack+ob#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DP2PnlrTKMl0J
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
What an insightful piece! It’s a great way to understand the key differences between Trump and Obama’s presidencies.
This is an outstanding and informative comparison of the two Presidents. Kudos to the author!
I disagree with the comparison. This is a biased and inaccurate view of both Presidents.
This is a well-written piece with great insights into the two Presidents and their policies. Great job!
The article provides a detailed and informative analysis of the contrasting presidencies of Trump and Obama. Well done!
Excellent comparison between Trump and Obama. Good article.