He did a lot of wildly different things in a way that you can’t really pin him on a modern political compass, so everyone from libs to conservatives are able to find something worth liking about him, thus exalting him further.

He was nicer to Native Americans than other presidents of the time. He argued for racial purity and was against interracial marriage. He greatly expanded the national parks and public land. He colonised the Philippines. He worked with unionists and regulated capital, threatened to nationalize coal if the striking miners’ demands weren’t met, and introduced the concept of “workers compensation” for injuries. He shot animals for fun. He argued for conserving natural resources. He sent most of the US Navy uninvited all over the world just to flex/intimidate. He did an imperialism in Central America.

He was a racist maniac hell bent on expanding the US empire, but believed that at least the subjects of the Imperial Core should at least benefit from the imperialism like the bourgeoisie already do.