Donald Trump Is the Second President in History Elected to 2 Non-Consecutive Terms — Here's the Other

Mar. 15, 2025

Donald Trump and Grover Cleveland are the only two presidents who have been elected for two non-consecutive terms.Photo:Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Donald Trumpwaselected to his second term as presidenton Wednesday, Nov. 6, marking a rare moment for the United States.

In winning the 2024 election and defeating Democratic Vice PresidentKamala Harris, Trump ensured his return to the White House four years afterJoe Bidendenied him a second consecutive term, making him both the 45th and 47th U.S. president.

At 78, Trump has also made history as the oldest president ever elected. And, because he wasfound guilty of all 34 felony counts of falsifying business recordsafter leaving the Oval Office, he is also now the first convicted felon to become president.Trump’s milestone reelection makes him one of just two presidents in the history of the U.S. who have been elected to two non-consecutive terms. The first wasGrover Cleveland.

President Grover Cleveland.Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Cleveland later admitted on the campaign trail that he had an affair with Halpin and agreed to provide financial support to her, according toEncyclopedia Britannica.

Given the political indiscretions and untrustworthy reputation of his then-opponent James G. Blaine, Cleveland was still successfully elected to the White House, becoming the 22nd president and the first Democrat elected after the Civil War.

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Midway through his first term, Cleveland called on Congress to reduce high protective tariffs, a move that gave Republican opponents an effective issue for their presidential bid, according to theWhite House Historical Association(WHHA). His response, at the time: “What is the use of being elected or re-elected unless you stand for something?”

After spending the four years of Harrison’s presidency in New York City working for a prominent law firm, Cleveland — who had previously served as the mayor of Buffalo and governor of New York — reprised his political career.

Cleveland ran for reelection with a new running mate and, thanks to some big government spending from Harrison and his administration — the treasury surplus was essentially depleted — the path to the former president’s victory became quite clear, according toEncyclopedia Britannica.

In 1892, he was elected once again, becoming the 24th president of the U.S. and the only former president to be restored to the office — until Trump’s victory in the 2024 election.

source: people.com