President Donald Trump's insistence Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said he is the greatest president in American history has turned out to be false.
Trump spoke at a GOP retreat in West Virginia and had this to say about the 83-year-old lawmaker who will retire at the end of this year:
"Orrin is — I love listening to him speak. He said once I am the single greatest president in his lifetime. Now he's a young man, so it's not that much. And he actually once said I'm the greatest president in the history of our country, and I said, 'does that include Lincoln and Washington?' he said, 'yes.' I said, 'I love this guy.'"
Hatch's office spoke with The Hill and clarified what Hatch actually told Trump.
"Hatch has said that he would like to work with the president to make this the greatest presidency in history for the American people," spokesman Matt Whitlock told The Hill.
Hatch later caught up with the news outlet and added further clarification to his comment.
Trump is "the best president I've served 'under' in terms of line of succession," Hatch said.
Hatch then joked about his age by saying, "if we're talking best presidents I've served alongside, that list would also include Lincoln, Reagan, and James K. Polk, who really knew how to command a room."
Hatch will be 84 in March and has served in the Senate since 1977. Former Massachusetts Gov. and 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will make an announcement regarding whether or not he will run for Hatch's seat Feb. 15.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.