Last updated: May 17th, 2024
This page has the comparisons between Trump vs Kennedy across all the metrics we track. President Trump and President Kennedy data are no longer in office. Their data has been set to be as equivalent by days in office to make a fair comparison of their performance. This accounts for presidents that had one term vs two terms, or presidents that had a much shortened term.
With respect to cumulative performance, Donald Trump has performed better on 3 out of the 5 metrics we track. President Trump's highest performance difference was on the indicator NASDAQ Index performing 137.56% better than President Kennedy. President Trump's lowest performance difference was on GDP performing -9.75% worse than President Kennedy.
We highly recommend you read this article as well prior: What's the best way to interpret the facts and data on Facts First?
How does Trump compare to Kennedy in the stock market? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized performance between Trump and Kennedy in the stock market. Cumulatively across the S&P 500, Trump is at 67.26% compared to Kennedy at 19.83% a difference of 47.43%. On the NASDAQ, Trump is at 137.56% compared to Kennedy at N/A a difference of N/A. Finally, on the DOW Jones, Trump is at 56.00% compared to Kennedy at 15.85% a difference of 40.15%.
| Index Cumulative Performance | Donald Trump | John F. Kennedy | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | 137.56% | N/A | N/A |
| DOW | 56.00% | 15.85% | Trump +40.15% |
| S&P | 67.26% | 19.83% | Trump +47.43% |
| Index Annualized Performance | Donald Trump | John F. Kennedy | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | 24.13% | N/A | N/A |
| DOW | 11.75% | 5.32% | Trump +6.43% |
| S&P | 13.71% | 6.58% | Trump +7.13% |
How does Trump compare to Kennedy with respect to GDP Growth? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized GDP growth. Cumulatively Trump is at 6.17% compared to Kennedy at 15.92% a difference of -9.75%
| GDP | Donald Trump | John F. Kennedy | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 6.17% | 15.92% | Trump -9.75% |
| Annualized | 1.53% | 5.63% | Trump -4.10% |
How does Trump compare to Kennedy in non-farm payroll? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized jobs created. Cumulatively Trump is at -2.03% compared to Kennedy at 6.65% a difference of -8.69%
| Indicator Cumulative Gain/Loss | Donald Trump | John F. Kennedy | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | -2.03% | 6.65% | Trump -8.69% |
| Annualized | -0.52% | 2.34% | Trump -2.86% |
We capture the data as soon as it’s available to us – stock market data after daily market close, jobs data once a month and GDP data once a quarter. After verifying the raw data, we then calculate updated cumulative and annualized performance data for the current president (the data for previous presidents have been calculated and verified in advance).
Some metrics are measured daily (like stock market performance), monthly (like jobs growth) and quarterly (like GDP growth). We start measurement of performance for a president from the first full time period after their inauguration. For stock market performance, it is the first stock market day in office. For jobs growth, it’s either first full calendar month in office (so if you are inaugurated in the middle of January, the first full month is February). This ensures a consistent starting point across all presidencies.
Also, read these articles in our Learning Center:
- What is the difference between cumulative and annualized performance?
- What’s the best way to interpret the facts and data on Facts First?
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