Nearly 80 years after Harry Truman dropped the atomic bomb, there are still countless questions surrounding this accidental president and his debatable decision to end the war with Japan in this explosive way. What were the political circumstances at the time, the estimates of casualties, the legacy it would leave with the rest of the world?  And critically, after all was said and done, would dropping the bomb ironically end up saving lives, for both sides? Vice President turned President, Harry Truman and his decision to drop the atomic bomb. It’s on this episode of American POTUS! The A ..read more

It was the 1780’s and this future POTUS was suffering through middle age, his wife had passed away after a long illness and he had sworn off politics after a rough stint as Virginia’s governor.  He was in desperate need of a big change!  So off he went to spend the next 5 years as America’s representative to France.  How to make wine, grow rice, design landscapes and buildings were all at the top of his list.  But it was his firsthand experience with the French monarchy that may have been the biggest takeaway of all! Our 3rd POTUS, Thomas Jefferson is on this episode of Ame ..read more

It was a time when political conventions were far different than today.  There might have been a favorite leading candidate going in, but the deal was not done until the back-room deals were made and the votes were cast. Enter unknown, long shot candidate Abraham Lincoln.  An absolute dark horse whose strategy was to lay low, not offend anyone and wait to be seen as the guy who could best represent the new Republican party. The crazy story of how our 16th POTUS came very close to never being on the presidential ballot in the first place!  It’s on this episode of American POTUS ..read more

Overcoming the barriers to having their voices heard, female trailblazers in the late 40’s and 50’s opened the door to a new role in American politics.  Their good reasoning and sound judgement were finally being paid attention to by presidential candidates from both parties, something our leaders still benefit from today. The first female presidential counselors and their stories of perseverance, intellect, and innovation that changed our national politics.  It’s on this episode of American POTUS! The American POTUS podcast is a 501c3 non-profit show, supported by listener patriots ..read more

We all have friends, and politicians have A LOT of friends.  But when it comes to political “Best Friends”, TR and his buddy Henry Cabot Lodge sets the bar. From a young age, the two men were taught to serve others and achieve tremendous success, which they did with the assistance of each other. But as close as they once were, political bickering tore them apart, only to be brought back together by life threatening challenges. The ups and down’s, high’s and lows of one of the most famous friendships in American politics; Theodore Roosevelt and Henry Cabot Lodge are on this episode of Amer ..read more

On the national stage, humble politician James Garfield was a virtual unknown - thrust into a long-shot run for the ultimate office, the Presidency. He went on to win the White House in one of the closest elections up to that time. And unexperienced as he may have been, after just 6 months in office he was making a difference and citizens were beginning to take notice.  But as soon as things appeared to be full speed ahead, he was shot in the back. The untimely death of what might have been one of the greatest Presidents in our history.  James Garfield is on this episode of American ..read more

It was Thomas Jefferson’s big bold real estate deal, the 15 Million Dollar Louisiana Purchase that was just too good to pass up.  It doubled the size of the country, eliminated the threat of a foreign power, connected the western lands, and gave us a stronger hold on the incredibly valuable Ohio territory. So why was this deal that was as important as the revolution and the constitution so controversial at the time? Thomas Jefferson’s real estate deal that transformed our nation and the world is on this episode of American POTUS! The American POTUS podcast is a 501c3 non-profit show, supp ..read more

Abraham Lincoln’s election of 1860 saw an amazing 80% voter turnout due in part to extreme passions for who would be leading our divided nation, they had never and would never be as high. As a result, Honest Abe’s whisker-close win proved to be the final spark in the explosion of Civil War. So the stage was now set for him to take over, but first he had to travel through the South to get to D.C., facing a series of unprecedented violent threats. The death-defying trip that resulted in one of the greatest Presidencies the nation has ever known, on this episode of American POTUS! The American PO ..read more

Jack Kennedy won the presidency as a fresh new face for a new generation.  A young, renegade leader who pushed the standards of how the White House conducted its business.  And to this, he was successful just as much as he was a failure. But when he was assassinated in Dallas, his very short 2 plus years in office suddenly became the Presidential standard that our politicians are still compared to, to this day. The debatable, complex, and scandalous legacy of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, on this episode of American POTUS! The American POTUS podcast is a 501c3 non-profit show, supported b ..read more

Harry Truman was a smart, humble, confident midwestern Vice President, who woke up one day to find himself in the top job, running the country! And it was no time to sit back and let issues and policies just play out.  It was one of the most tumultuous times in global history, wrapping up a world war and attempting to manage a new cold war! The surprising rise to power of POTUS 33, and how he managed to be  so successful. Soldier, Husband, Senator, President, Harry Truman is on this episode of American POTUS! The American POTUS podcast is a 501c3 non-profit show, supported by listene ..read more