Abraham Lincoln was the best president in American history, according to a group of distinguished historians surveyed by C-SPAN. He edged out George Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Looking for Donald Trump’s name? Keep scrolling. Indeed, the survey leaves Trump little to boast about.

True, he is not the worst president in American history, according to the 142 historians polled. That dubious distinction belongs to James Buchanan, who was in the White House when the Civil War broke out.

But Trump was ranked 41st out of 44 commanders-in-chief. Even William Henry Harrison, whose tenure lasted a mere 31 days, received higher marks.

https://twitter.com/AndrewSolender/status/1410237022720212995

Worse for the notoriously thin-skinned Trump, who was obsessed with dismantling and discrediting his predecessor’s legacy, is that Barack Obama ranked well above him – 10th overall.

C-SPAN asked the historians to rate the list of 44 men in ten qualities of leadership. (There have been 46 presidencies – including Joe Biden’s, who was not ranked – but Grover Cleveland served twice). In the realm of moral authority, Trump was dead last. Even Richard Nixon, who sabotaged a peace deal in Vietnam for political gain, introduced carpet bombing in Cambodia, and presided over the Watergate scandal before he resigned in disgrace, received a higher grade in that category. Trump was also at the very bottom of administrative skills. A botched handling of COVID-19 likely had something to do with that.

The survey is conducted every time a new administration takes office. The group of historians surveyed this year was more diverse than ever before. The Washington Post reports on a notable change from previous results:

The president whose reputation has improved the most in the past two decades? That’s Ulysses S. Grant, who started at No. 33 and is now ranked 20th. Grant has had a number of sympathetic biographies in recent years, and these days gets more credit for Reconstruction and his diplomacy than condemnation for his alleged corruption.

Rice University professor Douglas Brinkley said “Grant is having his Hamilton moment.”