American POTUS

Send us Fan Mail From the time James Garfield took office, he was focused on cleaning up the dirty politics of Washington.  And he was making progress, ensuring those that held lucrative government jobs, were actually qualified for those jobs – something that didn’t always happen.  But before he could really make his mark, two gun shots left him fighting for his life.  He died 11 weeks later, leav...

Send us Fan Mail Chester Arthur was the dirty politician who shocked the nation with an honest presidency.  As VP, he was considered harmless with an inconsequential role, but when Garfield was shot, he suddenly found himself in the top job.  The country was full of doubt and fear over what this man with the terrible reputation might do.  But the weight of Presidential responsibility actually turn...

Send us Fan Mail It’s the spring of 1945, and POTUS 32 is exhausted, but still determined to achieve his self-imposed lofty goals.  He sets off on a 14,000 mile journey to the other side of the world, to work with our allies and secure immediate peace, and peace for future generations.  The trip was a success, he came home, made a historic address to congress, then surrendered to the many hurdles...

Send us Fan Mail We’ve all seen the picture, a smiling Harry Truman holding up the Chicago Daily Tribune’s front page with the headline “Dewey Defeats Truman”. But as with most headlines, there’s a lot of story behind the big bold print.  At the end of the day, it all really came down to overconfidence versus confidence, one side relishing in a supposedly insurmountable lead, the other – kickstart...

Send us Fan Mail He was the President who had it all, then lost it all, only to gain a lot of it back – Richard Nixon.  By most accounts, Tricky Dick had a successful run in the White House, but it was all cut short by the Watergate Cover-Up.  Today, the perspective of history has shown us that his might just be the ultimate comeback story - the president who went from rock bottom to respected and...

Send us Fan Mail Theodore Roosevelt was a sickly child who found relief in the great outdoors and then preserved it for future generations as our 26th President.  He  always loved a good challenge; personal health, running a ranch, and fighting off the reckless use of our nation’s most impressive wild lands.  It took a lot of political capital to make it happen, and our beautiful national parks ex...

Send us Fan Mail Thaddeus Stevens was a defiant man who challenged 4 different Presidents of the Civil War era.  Fillmore, Buchanan, Lincoln and Douglas – they were all forced to deal with this head strong political heavyweight, bargaining and negotiating to make positive change in a very difficult time.  It’s an important story of how political influence from Congress can and should affect change...

Send us Fan Mail This Hollywood Hero achieved the biggest role on the world’s biggest stage and went on to literally change the world.  To a majority, his 8 years were successful but also full of challenges inside and outside of our borders.  Ultimately, he’s received the biggest award any actor-slash-president could ever want, the everlasting admiration of millions to this day.  The Teflon Presid...

Send us Fan Mail If you thought modern elections were tight, we present to you – the election of 1876!  The outcome was so close and so contested, some say a back room deal ultimately gave Hayes the White House by a margin of just 1 electoral vote.  Hayes did the best he could with his 4 years in office, but the formidable challenges of Southern reconstruction have tarnished his legacy to this day...

Send us Fan Mail Sharing presidential history with your kids that’s both fun & accurate is vitally important.  Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, JFK – their All-American stories are ripe with genuinely heroic tales…but also some embarrassing missteps that every young American can learn from.   Put the standard issue school history books aside, we’re looking at the presidency with a modern-day ki...

Send us Fan Mail From a young age, life kept throwing hurdles in front of a determined Bill Clinton, but he always worked and charmed his way over, around or through them – finding success and new opportunities.  And when he ultimately won the presidency in 92, when no one thought it was possible, he brought the same tenacity to his 8 years in The White House.   The personal stories of intelligenc...

Send us Fan Mail The Supreme Allied Commander who would become Commander-in-Chief, Dwight Eisenhower.  If titles were a true description of the man, you’d think his ego would shine as bright as the stars on his old uniform.  But this quiet statesman seemed to find the perfect balance between gentle and tough, cautioning the world’s communist leaders he would fight them every step of the way with n...

Send us Fan Mail Jimmy Carter's 1 term was full of challenges foreign and domestic; including inflation, fuel shortages and The Iran Hostage Crisis.  Ultimately, those issues were too big to overcome and he was shown the White House door a bit earlier than he would’ve liked.  But his idea of retirement is different than most, working around the globe to ensure fair elections and building home...

Send us Fan Mail The 2 founding fathers who would be friends, enemies and then friends again – John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.  The 51-year relationship between these Frienemies is complicated but telling, offering critical insight into the very delicate and increasingly political first couple decades of our nation.  Looking back, it’s proven to be one of our republic’s best examples of respectfu...

Send us Fan Mail By all accounts FDR appeared to have every advantage in life: family prestige, money, wit, and wisdom.  But it may have been his life-changing disadvantage that gave him the inspiration to win The White House.  And once he got there, it was no easy task – dealing with a global war on 2 fronts and an economic mess at home.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s affliction with Polio and his...

Send us Fan Mail As we look back on our first 13 episodes, we’ve learned that while the personalities and political parties may be vastly different, the patriotism of each POTUS is the common denominator.  In every case, these office holders & the people they’ve surrounded themselves with, have all had one goal in mind – to further the great American experiment the best way they knew how.  Bef...

Send us Fan Mail The presidency and tragic ending to the JFK era is well known, but how did POTUS 35 grow into the legend that inspires and haunts many to this day?  His path to the White House included family privilege, luck, disease, heartbreak, but most of all – personal perseverance.  We're covering the All-American story of how a young John Fitzgerald Kennedy went from supporting role to...

Send us Fan Mail A multi-million dollar post-presidency book deal hasn’t always been the norm for an ex-President.  Believe it or not, there was a time when who-wrote-what didn’t really matter – it was more about the importance of the document and ultimately the effect it had on advancing the nation.  But times have certainly changed, and so has the appetite to know who-said-what-where-when!  The...

Send us Fan Mail From the first First Lady on, these unelected but essential White House residents have each made their own mark on the presidency.  Charm, etiquette, culture and champions of social causes, they’ve brought attention to our nation’s most important challenges and unique qualities - all while raising a family and being their husbands most trusted advisors. The American POTUS podcast...

Send us Fan Mail From his very modest beginning, folks knew young Abe was going to be someone big, and boy did he prove them right.  When he took office, he was dealt probably the worst cards any president could imagine.  But his personality, patience and persistence helped him lead our nation through a terrible Civil War and to a new birth of freedom.  And while his tragic death kept him from ove...

Send us Fan Mail He was the first to raise his hand and take the oath, George Washington.  When this national hero reluctantly took the job, he quickly realized he wasn’t just a figurehead, he had to figure out what exactly the presidency was.  So like any good leader, he recruited some of the country’s best and brightest to help him, and while they didn’t always get along, they did create a brand...

Send us Fan Mail Calvin Coolidge was a man who achieved resounding success by famously saying very little!  His accidental presidency began with an unexpected middle-of-the-night swearing-in ceremony.  By morning, this small-government minded politician was cutting the budget and reducing taxes.  And when government action was called for, he stepped in when he had to, but controversially stepped o...

Send us Fan Mail The very first political dark horse, James K. Polk.  He paid his dues in state government and in the US Congress before unexpectedly finding himself up for the top spot in the 1844 election.  He went on to win, and changed the make-up of the country quite literally from sea to shining sea.  Expansion, War, Banking, he even implemented the whole idea of the postage stamp…and he did...

Send us Fan Mail He was one of the most effective presidential cabinet members in modern history – James A Baker.  He was in the middle of the national political scene for over 25 years, most notably as White House Chief of Staff and Secretary of State.  His keen sense of compromise helped him navigate the many pitfalls of Washington politics, proving time and again that behind every successful PO...

Send us Fan Mail In this inaugural episode, we're talking about the man destined for a life of public service from the time he was born.  World War 2 pilot, U.S. Congressman, Ambassador, CIA Director, and after 8 years as the #2 man in the White House, he earned his shot as President.  His lifetime was spent defending, representing and leading the United States through challenges foreign and...