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John Adams (1735-1826) -

In office from 1797 to 1801, the nation's second president was also its first one-termer.

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John Adams (1735-1826) -

Adams became George Washington's successor due to his career as a lawyer and diplomat. But a series of controversies, including his support of the Alien and Sedition Acts, which many saw as a violation of First Amendment rights, ruined his popularity. 

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John Adams (1735-1826) -

Adams lost to Thomas Jefferson in the 1800 election. Historians and scholars have favorably ranked his administration.

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John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) -

Like his father in 1800, John Quincy Adams failed to repeat his presidential victory four years after making it to the White House. He served from 1825 to 1829. 

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John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) -

Seen at times as a highly capable statesman, Adams formulated the Monroe Doctrine, which aimed to bolster US influence over the Western hemisphere.

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John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) -

However, Adams was plagued by accusations of corruption and his Whig Party became a casualty of a shifting political climate. He lost re-election to Andrew Jackson of the Democratic-Republicans.

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Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) -

The eighth President of the United States, Democrat Martin Van Buren, served from 1837 to 1841.

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Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) -

Van Buren failed to garner a second term, something that may have had more to do with his predecessor, President Andrew Jackson's policies. Jackson had folded the Second Bank of the United States, which some saw as a stabilizing force for the economy. 

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Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) -

When the financial markets took a downward during Van Buren's first year, not much could've been done to control inflation. He was defeated in 1840 by William Henry Harrison, who died just 32 days into his term.

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Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) -

Serving from 1889 to 1893, Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States. 

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Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) -

The Republican incumbent lost re-election to Democrat Grover Cleveland in 1892. 

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Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) -

Many believe his defeat was largely due to the growing discontent of third-party Populists, the unpopularity of high tariffs, and government spending.

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William Howard Taft (1857-1930) -

A Republican, William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States, serving between 1909 and 1913. 

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William Howard Taft (1857-1930) -

It was the friendship of his predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, that helped Taft win the election in 1908. However, his relationship with Roosevelt soured while he was in office. 

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William Howard Taft (1857-1930) -

Roosevelt ran as a third-party candidate in the 1912 election, drawing votes away from Taft. In the end, both of them lost to Democrat Woodrow Wilson, who went on to complete two full terms.

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Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) -

Republican Herbert Hoover was the 31st President of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. 

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Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) - As a former secretary of commerce, Hoover's promise to continue the economic achievements of the previous decade helped him win the presidency in 1928. However, all that changed when the stock market crashed immediately after Hoover entered office, leading to the Great Depression.

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Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) -

Hoover’s inability to stem the economic and financial losses proved disastrous, and he lost re-election to Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

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Gerald Ford (1913-2006) -

Gerald Ford occupied the White House from 1974 to 1977, but was never elected on a presidential ticket. Following the resignation of President Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal, Ford became the first unelected president in US history.

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Gerald Ford (1913-2006) -

However, Ford's controversial pardon of Nixon became an enormously unpopular decision. And along with numerous issues including a poor economy and the fall of South Vietnam, it cost him the presidency.

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Gerald Ford (1913-2006) -

Ford went on to lose the 1976 election, garnering 240 electoral votes, compared to the 297 that Jimmy Carter attained.

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Jimmy Carter (1924-) -

The 39th President of the United States, and the man who beat Ford in the 1976 presidential campaign, didn't get a second term either. 

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Jimmy Carter (1924-) -

During his presidency from 1977 to 1981, Jimmy Carter's administration was faced with a storm of calamities, including a short recession and the hostage-taking of US embassy staff in Iran.

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Jimmy Carter (1924-) -

Carter also referred to the country being in a "malaise" during a speech, which may have sealed his fate. He lost his re-election campaign to Republican Ronald Reagan, who went on to two full terms.

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George H.W. Bush (1924-2018) -

President from 1989 to 1993, reelection looked promising for George H.W. Bush. He was applauded for successfully managing foreign affairs after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and he helped amass a vast coalition of countries that liberated Kuwait from an Iraqi invasion. By February 1991, Bush enjoyed a sky-high approval rating of 89%

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George H.W. Bush (1924-2018) -

However, it was all downhill from there as he raised taxes, despite a famous 1988 campaign pledge that he wouldn't do so. Also, an ill-timed recession late in his presidency, combined with poor debate performances, damaged his chances of a second term. 

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George H.W. Bush (1924-2018) - The 41st President of the United States lost re-election to Bill Clinton, who went on to complete two terms.

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Donald Trump (1946-) -

In office from 2017 to 2021, Donald Trump is perhaps the most polarizing president of modern times. 

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Donald Trump (1946-) -

The first president to be impeached twice, many on the right continue to see Trump as a political hero. However, he never polled particularly well with Democrats or independents.

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Donald Trump (1946-) -

From his uneven response to the COVID-19 pandemic to multiple felony charges, Trump is the first-ever prominent presidential candidate with a felony conviction. However, if he still manages to win the 2024 election, he can reverse his status as a one-term president. 

Sources: (USA Today) (Pew Research Center) (Investopedia) 

See also: The biggest scandals of Donald Trump's political career

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