Defending the "Hated" Presidents – Like someone from 1996 who woke up in 2024

Look, I don’t know what happened while I was asleep, but I just woke up in 2024, and everyone seems really mad at a bunch of guys I thought were basically the backbone of American history. I feel like I just walked into a Twilight Zone episode. Let me try to set the record straight.

George Washington (President 1789–1797)

Hated now? Why?! He’s literally the reason the U.S. exists. Sure, I get that people criticize him for owning slaves, but this was the 1700s. The man freed his slaves upon his death, and in a time when people wanted to crown him king, he stepped down voluntarily! That’s a big deal. He set the precedent for peaceful transfers of power, and I feel like people take that for granted.

Thomas Jefferson (President 1801–1809)

Okay, yeah, I kinda get this one. The guy wrote “all men are created equal” while owning slaves—pretty bad optics. But without him, the U.S. would be half the size it is today. The Louisiana Purchase? Huge. And he was big on limited government, personal freedoms, and free speech. If you like having the right to say whatever you want about the government, you can thank Jefferson.

Andrew Jackson (President 1829–1837)

Okay, okay, I hear you—Trail of Tears, bad. Really bad. Really bad. But if we’re putting that aside for a second (please don’t kill me), Jackson was a man of the people. He fought against the elites, killed the national bank (which some modern populists actually like), and proved that a self-made man could rise to the presidency. And he was the only president to pay off the national debt. How’s that debt situation looking in 2024, huh?

Abraham Lincoln (President 1861–1865)

Wait, people hate Lincoln now? How? He literally saved the Union! Is saving the Union bad now? Has this country gone mad? Okay, I know the whole “state’s rights” thing is a debate, but let’s be honest— you could defend state’s rights without breaking up the country. If we start splitting over every disagreement, we end up with 50 different countries. That’s not stability, that’s a disaster. Also—freeing the slaves? Pretty big deal. So I hear people today calling Lincoln racist, and honestly, I get it. If you dig up some of his speeches, he said things that, by today’s standards, sound really bad. But let’s put this into perspective—he was a man of his time, and his actions spoke way louder than his words. Now, if you’re saying, "But he said he didn’t believe in full equality!"—yeah, he said that. Again, a man of his time. But ask yourself: Would you rather have a guy who said nice things about equality but did nothing? Or a guy who maybe had some views that wouldn’t fly today, but actually changed history for the better?

Andrew Johnson (President 1865–1869)

He was stuck in an impossible situation. He was a Southern Democrat who stayed loyal to the Union, which means neither side liked him. He tried to reunite the country his way, and yeah, it wasn’t great, but impeachment over a cabinet dispute? That was political theater. If nothing else, he showed that presidents shouldn’t be removed just because Congress doesn’t like them. After the Civil War, the South was in ruins, and there were two options: punish the former Confederacy hard or try to bring them back into the Union as smoothly as possible. Johnson believed that harsh punishment would just fuel more resentment and possibly lead to a second rebellion. His approach was about getting the Southern states reintegrated fast so the country wouldn’t fall apart again. Congress wanted to implement very strict policies in the South, including military rule and harsher restrictions on former Confederates. Johnson pushed back because he believed it would only create more hostility and make reunification harder.

Woodrow Wilson (President 1913–1921)

Wilson is a weird one. I remember him as the guy who led the U.S. through World War I and helped create the League of Nations. Yeah, I get it, he was super racist, but he was also a visionary for international diplomacy. Also, he introduced the modern income tax and the Federal Reserve, which—you tell me—are those good or bad now? Either way, Wilson fundamentally shaped 20th-century America. But if we’re talking about what he actually did as president, his policies helped shape modern America in ways that are still felt today. He created a stable banking system, cracked down on monopolies and unfair business practices, strengthened antitrust laws so big businesses couldn’t just swallow up competitors or abuse workers. Wilson tried to keep America neutral while Europe tore itself apart. He only entered the war when it was unavoidable, after German U-boats kept sinking American ships and the Zimmermann Telegram revealed Germany was trying to get Mexico to attack the U.S. Wilson’s leadership helped tip the scales in the Allies’ favor. Without U.S. troops and resources, WWI could have dragged on even longer, killing millions more. Yes, Wilson was racist and segregated the federal government, which was a terrible decision. But he wasn’t unique for his time—most politicians then held racist views. It’s fair to criticize him for that, but his policies still helped millions of Americans, including future generations of Black Americans who benefited from the economic reforms and workers’ rights he championed.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (President 1933–1945)

I refuse to believe people hate FDR now. FDR?! He pulled America out of the Great Depression, led the country through World War II, and created Social Security. Sure, conservatives in my time weren’t thrilled with the New Deal, but in 1996, this guy was still seen as the president who saved capitalism from itself. What changed? Oh… the internment camps? Yeah, okay, those were bad. But he still built the modern safety net that millions rely on today.

Ronald Reagan (President 1981–1989)

I was alive for Reagan, and trust me—back in 1996, he was a god to Republicans and at least kinda respected by some Democrats. People credit him with winning the Cold War, fixing the economy, and making Americans feel proud again. Now, I hear people saying he caused income inequality? Look, trickle-down economics might not have worked perfectly, but he cut inflation, lowered taxes, and helped end the USSR. That’s gotta count for something, right?