What the Republicans say

the peaceful transition of power is part of that.”

Newnham said clearly there are still people on board from Trump’s base who are quick to point out the president’s achievements, which some on the other side wouldn’t think of as achievements, but that’s always the case.

“But when the history books are written and they’re trying to sum up the Trump administration in a few paragraphs, it’s kind of hard to believe that one of those first sentences won’t be about him being the first president to be impeached twice,” he said. “They won’t likely be mentioning that he rolled back business regulations in the first paragraph of the story.”

Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale has been outspoken on Trump.

“I am proud to be the first elected official in Pennsylvania to endorse Donald Trump in 2016. Even though President Trump is exiting the White House, I will continue to be a voice for Trump conservatives, not just in southeastern Pennsylvania, but across the entire state,” Gale said in an emailed response.

“The Republican Party cannot go backward to the era of Bush, McCain, and Romney if we hope to move forward. And, frankly, I will not let that happen. Together, we must continue the policies and agenda Trump started and finish the job of draining the swamp in both parties, which begins by saying goodbye and good riddance to the failed GOP of yesterday that was run into the ground by powerhungry establishment hacks.”

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican who represents parts of nearby Berks County, said there are things that really stick out about the Trump presidency.

“First, he brought a business approach to the

White House — something people never saw before,” he said. “He got a lot done. He knew what he wanted to do and he did it. He got results. He found ways to get things done rather than talking about getting things done and blaming others when they didn’t.”

Meuser said Trump had a long list of accomplishments. He focused on three.

• The economy before COVID arrived. Everyone was in better financial shape, he said.

• He spent money on rebuilding the military, started the space force and dealt with the dangers of ISIS.

• The peace treaties in the Middle East and taking on China to make sure that manufacturing would come back to America.

Meuser said the fact that Trump was not beholden to special interests allowed him to focus on the needs of the people who voted for him. And that meant he gave people hope who hadn’t voted in years, or maybe ever.

“They were the people who felt forgotten, and he made them feel as if they had a voice. That was inspiring to a lot of people,” he said.

— Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale

What the Democrats say

Montgomery County Commissioners Chairwoman Valerie Arkoosh said recent events have likely affected Trump’s legacy.

“Well I think that his legacy will not be a positive one, particularly because of the events that have occurred since the election. In these last months, the president has presented the American people with numerous falsehoods, none of which have been able to be substantiated in a court of law and a week ago he seemed to incite an insurrection on our Capitol and so I do not think that it will be a positive legacy that he leaves behind.”

U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, who represents most of Montgomery County, said of his legacy, “the historians will write it that it’s tragic.”

“It’s going to be a legacy of disgrace, of corruption, of callousness. It is a very, very sad legacy. None of us wanted this. Everyone wanted this man to succeed and at every turn he disgraced himself, his family to the point where he incited an attack on his own people by American citizens.”

Weighing in on the municipal level, Lansdale Mayor Garry Herbert called it “a complicated question ... based on who you’re speaking to.”

“I think personally his legacy will be one of division and frustration for many in the country. I think it’s a difficult place the country is in right now and I think it was a difficult place four years ago. I don’t know that he has improved our situation much, but I certainly can say I don’t know that there’s too many people that would consider themselves happy at this point in time, hence the results of the election.”

MediaNews Group staff writer Rachel Ravina contributed to this report.

— Tim Blessing, Alvernia University