This week, Donald Trump triumphed over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race, officially becoming the second U.S. president in history to be elected for non-consecutive terms, joining Grover Cleveland.

Having previously served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021, Trump will now take office again as the 47th president.

Grover Cleveland, who was the 22nd president, served from 1885 to 1889, and then returned as the 24th president from 1893 to 1897.

Moreover, their presidential eras, separated by more than a century, featured stark differences in opinions about tariffs.

Who Was Grover Cleveland?

Grover Cleveland was born in New Jersey in 1837 and grew up in upstate New York. He practiced law in Buffalo before quickly moving through political roles. In 1881, he was elected mayor of Buffalo while campaigning on a reform platform against corruption. He became governor of New York the following year and was later nominated for president by the Democratic Party in 1884.

Cleveland won his first presidential election by defeating James Blaine, former U.S. senator and secretary of state, while again emphasizing his anti-corruption message. Despite admitting to having fathered an illegitimate child in 1874, he won support, particularly from reform-minded Republicans known as Mugwumps. His presidency witnessed significant events like the Haymarket labor riots in 1886 and the passing of the Interstate Commerce Act in 1887, the first federal law aimed at regulating the railroads.

In 1886, at 49 years old, Cleveland made history by becoming the first sitting president to marry, tying the knot with 21-year-old Frances Folsom. His first term also included several milestones: he became the first president to have a child during his time in office, and he had the Christmas tree in the White House decorated with electric lights for the first time, according to historian Louis Picone.

However, his administration faced criticism for rejecting various bills aimed at providing pensions to Civil War veterans and for denying disaster relief for drought-stricken farmers, arguing that such federal aid undermined national resilience.

According to Ryan McMahon, a political science professor at San Antonio College, Cleveland’s agenda for his 1888 reelection campaign included reducing high tariffs favored by wealthy Republicans, despite facing resistance from his party. McMahon stated, “Cleveland, as a Democrat, aimed to enact significant reforms and believed that middle-class taxpayers bore the brunt of these tariffs.”

Despite winning the popular vote, Cleveland lost the 1888 election to Republican Benjamin Harrison, largely supported by wealthy industrialists, colloquially known as robber barons. Four years later, he reemerged as a strong Democratic candidate, promising to lower tariffs, which helped him win against Harrison.

Cleveland’s second term as the 24th president began amidst challenges. His first year was embroiled in the economic crisis known as the Panic of 1893. The next year, labor unrest erupted in the form of the Pullman Strikes, which disrupted the railroads and forced Cleveland to call in federal troops to restore order.

“The economic landscape was dire as he took office,” McMahon observed. “Although he had pledged to reduce tariffs, the Treasury needed funds, hindering his efforts.”

By 1896, facing dwindling support, even within his own party, Cleveland chose not to seek reelection.

While Trump will be the second president to serve non-consecutive terms, other former presidents have attempted without success to reclaim the office after their time in power.

For instance, Martin Van Buren, the 8th president, ran unsuccessfully in 1848 representing the Free Soil Party. Millard Fillmore, president from 1850 to 1853, pursued the American Party nomination in 1856 but did not win. Similarly, Theodore Roosevelt attempted to return for a third term in 1912 as a third-party candidate but lost the election.

Can Trump Run Again in 2028?

No, per the 22nd Amendment.

A report from the Congressional Research Service in 2009, authored by national government specialist Thomas H. Neale, indicates that the four-year term limit for presidents and vice presidents is established in Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution.

Before Franklin D. Roosevelt’s election to a third term in 1940, U.S. presidents generally adhered to an unwritten tradition of serving no more than two terms. Neale highlighted that of the 31 presidents up until that point, only seven had served consecutive terms.

FDR was the only U.S. president to be elected four times, serving until his passing in 1945. His unprecedented tenure led to the establishment of the 22^nd Amendment in 1951, which limits presidents to a maximum of two elected terms.

“To alter that would require a Constitutional amendment, a process that’s lengthy, challenging, and often burdensome,” McMahon remarked. “It’s highly improbable that such a change would occur.”