The vexed history of former presidents trying to regain the White House

Donald Trump is not the first former president to launch a comeback campaign to return to the White House.

Martin Van Buren, Millard Fillmore, Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover all attempted comebacks. Only Cleveland’s bid did not end poorly. Van Buren, Fillmore and Roosevelt unsuccessfully sought to regain the presidency as third-party candidates, while Grant and Hoover waged losing efforts to secure their party’s nomination.

Martin Van Buren...