It will take years if not decades to know the full impact of Donald Trump's presidency.
But as he left office Wednesday, political scientists and historians weighed in and their assessments are not flattering.
"He's not simply the worst president, he is in a unique category of failure where his name is more likely than not to replace Benedict Arnold as the worst political name in American political history," said USF Political Science Professor James Taylor.
Trump is leaving office with a 34% approval rating according to Gallup, his lowest rating and the lowest of any president since they started their poll in 1938. He is also the only president to never reach a rating of at least 50%.
He failed to deliver on two of his major campaign promises: building a wall at the border with Mexico and overturning the Affordable Care Act. Trump became the only president to be impeached twice, fumbled the coronavirus response and leaves behind a fragile economy.
Famed biographer and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin said Trump's failure of leadership created multiple crises of its own.
In his last week in office, Trump was impeached for inciting a deadly insurrection and the U.S. reached an unimaginable 400,000 deaths from COVID-19.
Taylor said that Trump was able to develop a strong bond with his base, which could have formed a powerful platform.
"People attached themselves to Donald Trump. That gave him an opportunity to be a voice for everyday people."
An opportunity that Taylor said Trump squandered by not widening his audience.
Trump did deliver on his promise to overhaul the nation's tax code, cutting taxes for many. He was also able to name three new justices to the Supreme Court.
Taylor thought Trump's top achievement was in criminal justice reform, one of the few issues during his presidency that had bipartisanship support.
"I think he did a fair job in terms of the First Step Act, at least the right tone and the right approach and right attitude from the Republicans standpoint. Because the Republicans in the past 40 years - as well as Democrats - drove up the war on drugs, the tough on crime law and order. And Donald Trump championed this idea."
Documentarian Ken Burns has called Trump "an autocrat" wrapped in a virus of lies.
According to a CNN poll, First Lady Melania Trump also leaves the White House with the lowest approval rating of any First Lady.
