This American President

As America approaches its 250th birthday, bestselling author and historian Jane Hampton Cook joins us for a conversation about the people, moments, and ideas that make the American story so remarkable. We discuss why America remains a nation worth celebrating, the most underrated Americans in our history, the historical events we'd most like to witness firsthand, and the era that best represents A...

We live in an era defined by distrust of institutions, political outsiders, and anti-establishment movements. What can the life of perhaps the ultimate establishment president tell us about America today? In this episode, I speak with historian Laurence Jurdem about his new book, 41: George H.W. Bush and the End of the American Establishment . We discuss Bush’s rise through the political, di...

Did you know that a young Princess Elizabeth once spent time with a twenty-something John F. Kennedy? Or that Richard Nixon hoped to marry one of his daughters into the British royal family? In this episode, I speak with bestselling author Susan Page about her new book, The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History . We explore Queen Elizabeth II’s remarkable relationship...

Before he became the indispensable man of the American founding, George Washington was a young officer fighting for survival in the wilderness, battling the French, navigating deadly frontier politics, and learning the hard lessons that would forge his character. In this episode, I speak with Benton Crane, co-founder of Angel Studios, about Young Washington , a major new film focused on George Was...

How should Americans evaluate presidential candidates when it comes to nuclear weapons? In this episode, Dr. Anthony Eames, Director of Scholarly Initiatives at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, returns to the show to examine how presidents from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump have approached nuclear weapons, deterrence, and arms control. We discuss the end of the Cold War, th...

What does the First Lady actually do —and how did the role become so influential? Our host Richard Lim sits down with Anita McBride—former Chief of Staff to Laura Bush, Executive-in-Residence at American University’s School of Public Affairs, and Director of the First Ladies Initiative—to break down the evolution of one of the most visible roles in American life. From Dolle...

How have American presidents managed the most destructive weapons ever created? In this episode, Dr. Anthony Eames, Director of Scholarly Initiatives at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, joins me to examine the history of nuclear weapons through the decisions of U.S. presidents—from Truman and Eisenhower to Reagan and beyond. We discuss the logic of deterrence, the ris...

What if today’s leading voices took a fresh look at the lives of America’s presidents and first ladies—searching for lessons that still speak to the challenges we face now? That’s the idea behind In Pursuit , a new initiative to discover history’s greatest lessons by revisiting America’s first 250 years and distilling insights that can inspire and inform our fut...

What American president would take a demotion and become a congressman after leaving the White House? The answer is John Quincy Adams. In this episode, we interview Bob Crawford, bassist for The Avett Brothers, about his new book on America's sixth president.  America's Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Founding-Son-President...

President Trump has ordered strikes on Iran. In this episode, scholar Randall Fowler discusses how we got to this critical moment. He examines the history of U.S.–Iran relations — from the 1953 coup and the 1979 Islamic Revolution to sanctions, nuclear diplomacy, and today’s military action — with a focus on how each American president shaped the path to this moment. More T...

On January 3, 2026, the United States captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, ending his corrupt reign over the South American country. What led President Donald Trump to order this dramatic intervention?  Franklin Camargo is Venezuelan-American political commentator who fled his native country in 2019. In this episode, Camargo discusses his remarkable journey, the capture of Madu...

FDR is often ranked by historians as one of the two or three greatest presidents. In recent years, he sometimes lands at the top spot. In this episode, Professor David T. Beito explores whether that ranking is deserved. FDR: A NEW POLITICAL LIFE https://www.amazon.com/FDR-Political-David-T-Beito/dp/1637700695 JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium FOLLOW US www.link...

If J.D. Vance gets elected to the White House in 2028, he will be the first president in over a century to have facial hair. In this episode, Theodore Pappas discusses the surprising history of hair and the American presidency.  COMBING THROUGH THE WHITE HOUSE: HAIR AND ITS SHOCKING IMPACT ON THE POLITICS, PRIVATE LIVES, AND LEGACIES OF THE PRESIDENTS https://www.amazon.com/Combing-Through-Wh...

Richard shares an update on his book project. https://www.richardmlim.com JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium FOLLOW US www.linktr.ee/thisamericanpresident CREDITS Host: Richard Lim Producer: Michael Neal Artist: Nip Rogers, www. NipRogers.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is there evil in the world? How do you stop it? In this episode, No Spin News host Bill O'Reilly discusses his new book about the most evil people in all of history. CONFRONTING EVIL: ASSESSING THE WORST OF THE WORST https://www.amazon.com/Confronting-Evil-Assessing-Worst/dp/1250374049/ref=sr_1_3 JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium FOLLOW US www.linktr.ee/thi...

Some of the biggest myths in American history center around the lives of the presidents. In this episode, historian Larry Schweikart tackles some of the biggest misperceptions about America's chief executives. A PATRIOT'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES: FROM COLUMBUS'S GREAT DISCOVERY TO AMERICA'S AGE OF ENTITLEMENT https://www.amazon.com/Patriots-History-United-States-Entitlement/dp/1595231153/ref=...

“His single minded mission was to elevate the United States as a leading world power… he was dedicated to the ideal of American greatness.” That is how today's guest, Bret Baier, describes President Theodore Roosevelt in his new book, To Rescue the American Spirit. In this episode, we interview Mr. Baier on how Roosevelt shaped the American Century. TO RESCUE THE AMERICAN SPIRIT...

In this episode, we interview Allen Estrin, the co-founder and executive director of Prager University, about the life of Charlie Kirk and about Estrin's new book on the presidents of the United States. THE HONEST BOOK OF PRESIDENTS: THE MEN WHO SHAPED AMERICA https://www.amazon.com/Honest-Book-Presidents-Prager-University/dp/0063430274/ JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/...

It's both the famous vacation spot in the world, and the site of some of the most earthshaking events in modern history. It is Camp David. On this episode, former chaplain and historian at Camp David, Charles Ferguson, explains what it's like to be in his iconic presidential retreat. PRESIDENTIAL SECLUSION: THE POWER OF CAMP DAVID https://www.amazon.com/Presidential-Seclusion-Power-Camp-David/dp/1...

He was the brilliant engineer and humanitarian who saved millions of lives during World War I, revolutionized the American economy, and was elected the 31st president of the United States. And yet, this same man left office with his reputation in shambles, blamed for his country's stunning decline during the Great Depression. In this episode, we discuss history's verdict on Herbert Hoover. JOIN PR...

Almost every American president has sworn on the Bible to faithfully execute their duties and uphold the Constitution. But what did our presidents actually think about the Bible? Historian Carl J. Richard has just written a book on that very subject. He joins us to discuss the impact of history's most famous book on history's most powerful office.  SO HELP US, GOD: AMERICAN PRESIDENTS AND THE...

Herbert Hoover was a revolutionary figure in American politics -- for many, he represented a new era, in which experts and engineers would dominate the highest levels of government. Upon Hoover's election to the presidency in 1928, millions of Americans were thrilled at the prospect of the "Great Engineer" engineering solutions to the nation's problems. Those hopes, however, would be dashed by the...

April 2025 will be remembered as the month when President Donald Trump declared war against the entire world -- a trade war to be exact. Whatever one thinks about his decision, it was a bold move that few chief executives would be willing to do. But he's far from the only president to take such drastic action. In this episode, attorney Jonathan Stokes and I discuss five other presidents who, simil...

Few presidents entered office more distrusted than America's 21st chief executive, Chester A. Arthur. But one American, Julia Sand, believed that he could rise to the occasion. What ensued was one of the most surprising and unlikely episodes in presidential history -- one that is the basis of a new documentary from the Competitive Enterprise Institute, titled Dear Mr. President: The Letters of Jul...

A president in cognitive decline. A beleaguered Vice President. A party in shambles. An ex-president on the verge of the greatest political comeback in American history. And a lot of cat and dog memes. The 2024 presidential election featured all this, and more. In this episode, Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes take us behind the scenes in some of the biggest moments of America's craziest election.&n...