This American President

Richard Nixon entered office during one of the most tumultuous times in American history. And he had a bold agenda to remake his country’s foreign policy. For the first time, a new form of realism would dictate America’s Cold War strategy. The first test of this new worldview would occur in the jungles of Vietnam. Follow Website: thisamericanpresident.com Twitter: twitter.com/ThisAmerPres Facebook: facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support Patreon: patreon.com/thisamericanpresident Paypal:...

Sports are as American as apple pie, yet even they have become a part of the political landscape. For decades, presidents have appeared at sporting events, and championship teams and gold medal winners have been invited to visit the White House. This wasn't always the case and you may be surprised to know that Richard Nixon was a pivotal figure in the nexus between American politics and sports. In this episode, we interview Nicholas Evan Sarantakes on his book, Fan in Chief: Richard Nixon...

On January 20, 1969, Richard Nixon delivered his first inaugural address—the culmination of one of the greatest comebacks in American political history. After losing the 1960 election to John F. Kennedy and then the 1962 California gubernatorial election, Nixon's political career was all but over. Although history remembers him as a controversial president, in this speech, he sought to unite a country in turmoil, ravaged by racial and generational divisions. This is the first in a series of...

Richard M. Nixon is one of the country's most vilified presidents, and yet the American people entrusted him twice as vice president and twice as president. In this episode, we cover the highs and lows of Nixon‘s pre-presidential career and his tortuous path to the White House. We also cover his transformation, from America’s foremost anti-communist to its most prominent advocate for coexistence with the Soviet Union. Richard Nixon aspired to the status of a great statesman but the Vietnam...

He was one of the most ruthless tyrants who has ever lived. He is an icon of totalitarian oppression--and yet, he was also as human as you and me. In this episode, we interview Ronald G. Suny on his new book about the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, Stalin: Passage to Revolution (https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691182032/stalin). Follow Website: thisamericanpresident.com Twitter: twitter.com/ThisAmerPres Facebook: facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support Patreon:...

Ray Harris Jr of The History of WWII Podcast is joined by Richard Lim to discuss Franklin D. Roosevelt. Now that the Japanese have struck at Pearl Harbor, FDR must lead the U.S. to victory. But what kind of man and politician was FDR? Join us to find out. This is a preview of an episode of The History of WWII Podcast, hosted by Ray Harris Jr. To listen to the full episode, go to https://megaphone.link/ADL9554263506. Follow Website: thisamericanpresident.com Twitter: twitter.com/ThisAmerPres...

When he was shot by assassin Charles Guiteau, President James Garfield was robbed of his place in history. He would forever be relegated to obscurity. In this episode, we interview Todd Arrington on his book on the 20th president and how Garfield deserves a better place in the annals of American history. Check out Todd Arrington's book, The Last Lincoln Republican: The Presidential Election of 1880 (https://kansaspress.ku.edu/978-0-7006-2982-4.html). Follow Website: thisamericanpresident.com...

An enduring theme of Abraham Lincoln's life was his genius for striking a balance between opposing forces. Lacking formal schooling but with an unquenchable thirst for self-improvement, Lincoln had a talent for wrestling and bawdy jokes that made him popular with his peers, even as his appetite for poetry and prodigious gifts for memorization set him apart from them through his childhood, his years as a lawyer, and his entrance into politics. In this episode, we interview David S. Reynolds...

John F. Kennedy often gets high marks for his leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but he agonized over what to do in Southeast Asia. This episode covers the origins of America's disastrous intervention in Vietnam—and JFK’s own tragic demise. Follow thisamericanpresident.com twitter.com/ThisAmerPres facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support patreon.com/thisamericanpresident paypal.me/thisamerpres Credits Produced by Richard Lim and Michael Neal Art by NipRogers.com Learn more about your ad...

John F. Kennedy's early years were formative for his knowledge of international relations, and provided him the ability to steer the nation through perilous events in the Cold War during his presidency. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Fredrik Logevall has written a new biography about this subject: JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956. In this episode, we interview Dr. Logevall about insights he uncovered about JFK’s early life and career. Follow thisamericanpresident.com...

In October of 1962, John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev went to the brink of nuclear armageddon. In this episode, we cover how they managed the most dangerous moment in human history, the Cuban Missile Crisis. Follow thisamericanpresident.com twitter.com/ThisAmerPres facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support patreon.com/thisamericanpresident paypal.me/thisamerpres Credits Produced by Richard Lim and Michael Neal Art by NipRogers.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that the 2020 election is over, attention is focusing on the new president's cabinet. We take the president’s cabinet for granted but it’s creation wasn’t a foregone conclusion. In this episode, we interview Professor Lindsay M. Chervinsky on how George Washington created this uniquely American institution in her new book, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution. Follow thisamericanpresident.com twitter.com/ThisAmerPres facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support...

Jackie Kennedy was widowed at the age of 34, forever traumatized by her husband’s assassination. In this episode, we interview Paul Brandus on how Jackie sought to build a new life without JFK in his new book, Jackie: Her Transformation from First Lady to Jackie O. Follow thisamericanpresident.com twitter.com/ThisAmerPres facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support patreon.com/thisamericanpresident paypal.me/thisamerpres Credits Produced by Richard Lim and Michael Neal Art by NipRogers.com Learn more...

John F. Kennedy entered office amid great expectations and high ambitions. But his idealism would soon crash into the realities of the Cold War. This episode examines the complex situations JFK encountered in the Third World. Follow thisamericanpresident.com twitter.com/ThisAmerPres facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support patreon.com/thisamericanpresident paypal.me/thisamerpres Credits Produced by Richard Lim and Michael Neal Art by NipRogers.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Vladimir Putin remains one of the world’s most enigmatic leaders, but Professor Brian Taylor has spent years studying what makes the Russian president tick. In this episode, Dr. Taylor discusses his book, The Code of Putinism. Follow thisamericanpresident.com twitter.com/ThisAmerPres facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support patreon.com/thisamericanpresident paypal.me/thisamerpres Credits Produced by Richard Lim and Michael Neal Art by NipRogers.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

They called him Honest Abe, but according to author Elizabeth Mitchell, Abraham Lincoln wasn't always honest. In fact, few presidents have more effectively manipulated the media. In this episode, Ms. Mitchell discusses her new book, Lincoln's Lie. Follow thisamericanpresident.com twitter.com/ThisAmerPres facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support patreon.com/thisamericanpresident paypal.me/thisamerpres Credits Produced by Richard Lim and Michael Neal Art by NipRogers.com Learn more about your ad...

GOP senators are moving to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In light of their 2016 refusal to give Merrick Garland a hearing, is this hypocrisy? Historian David Greenberg weighs in. Follow thisamericanpresident.com twitter.com/ThisAmerPres facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support patreon.com/thisamericanpresident paypal.me/thisamerpres Credits Produced by Richard Lim and Michael Neal Art by NipRogers.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

In 1796, George Washington decided to retire after decades of public service, but he was worried for his nation’s future. This episode explores his Farewell Address, which he hoped would guide Americans beyond his own lifetime. This is a preview of an exclusive episode available only on our Patreon. Become a Patron at patreon.com/thisamericanpresident for exclusive content like this and more. Follow thisamericanpresident.com twitter.com/ThisAmerPres facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support...

President Trump’s COVID diagnosis raises questions about what happens when the president is incapacitated. Jane Hampton Cook and our host Richard Lim discuss what history has to say about presidential illnesses. Become a Patron at patreon.com/thisamericanpresident for exclusive content and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the middle of a heated presidential election, historian Jarrett Stepman explains what lessons history has to offer about the electoral college, running mate selections, and televised debates. Jarrett Stepman is the cohost of The Right Side of History and author of The War on History: The Conspiracy to Rewrite America's Past. Become a Patron at patreon.com/thisamericanpresident for exclusive content and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices