It seems that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was well-liked by most people—even Republicans. He is known for his weekly fireside radio chats, and he made a good show of it. Many I suppose couldn’t wait to hear him. But there were things that he never talked about—that he kept secret. And these secret things I think would qualify him as being one of the worst Presidents.

But why am I telling you this? Why should we dig up negative stuff now? Well because I think history is important for our overall understanding of the world—especially in Presidents. And I think, because he was so well liked, this President had a lot to do with setting the standard for Presidents, especially Presidents of the democratic party.

Overall, the basic criticism of FDR was that he was very controlling; he sought to control the government and the Democratic party; many thought he was headed toward a dictatorship by attempting to pack the Supreme court (And this is what we are doing now); and, he was the only president to run a third term—though the last term was shortened by his death.

Here are five more criticisms of FDR:

1. Many of his allies, after a time, rejected him.

• His Vice President, John Garner, was not pleased with many of his policies, though we don’t know why.
• Raymond Moley became a bitter opponent of his New Deal and caused him to turn conservative.
• Ambassador Joseph Kennedy (John Kennedy’s dad) had an uneasy relationship with him.
• Journalist Walter Lippmann thought he was unqualified to be President.
• Publisher William Hearst was highly critical of his New Deal.
• Al Smith, Gov. of N.Y. also opposed his New Deal.

2. Many were critical of his New Deal.

This New Deal was an extensive government intervention. In this New Deal FDR dramatically expanded the welfare state; he believed in an equal distribution of wealth.

3. Many said FDR was a communist and a fascist.

And many came out and blatantly said that he was anti-God.

4. He was racist for the following reasons:

• He sent 120,000 Japanese and American citizens of Japanese ancestry to internment camps after WW2.
• In the 1936 Olympics only white athletes were invited to meet Roosevelt. Even Jesse Owens who won four gold medals was not invited.
• He did not support making lynching a federal crime.
• FDR nominated Hugo Black to the Supreme Court, knowing that he had been an active member of the KKK in the 1920’s.

5. He was anti-Jewish.

• He did not try to prevent the Holocaust.
• In 1939, 936 Jewish refugees were denied asylum and not allowed into the U.S.
• FDR knew that Jews were being killed but did nothing!
• FDR failed to issue any public statements of the killing of Jews in any of his 998 press conferences. No wonder so many people in the U.S. knew nothing about the six million Jews that were killed. Why did FDR keep this a secret? And why did he not at least try to prevent the Holocaust?