"[509] Chernow suggests that Washington was "burdened by public life" and divided by "unacknowledged ambition mingled with self-doubt".[510] A 1993 review of presidential polls and surveys consistently ranked Washington number 4, 3, or 2 among presidents.[511] A 2018 Siena College Research Institute survey ranked him number 1 among presidents.[512]
In the 21st century, Washington's reputation has been critically scrutinized. Along with various other Founding Fathers, he has been condemned for holding enslaved human beings. Though he expressed the desire to see the abolition of slavery come through legislation, he did not initiate or support any initiatives for bringing about its end. This has led to calls from some activists to remove his name from public buildings and his statue from public spaces.[513][514] Nonetheless, Washington maintains his place among the highest-ranked U.S. Presidents, listed second (after Lincoln) in a 2021 C-SPAN poll.