When President James Garfield assumed the office of the presidency in March 1881, he stood at the helm of a deeply polarized and fragmented nation. Known as a reformer as well as a broker of compromise during his time in Congress, Garfield would scarcely have time to implement change as president before being assassinated only four months into his term. In this talk with David M. Rubenstein, biographer C.W. Goodyear discusses the life and legacy of President Garfield, a complex and often contradictory figure who became a martyr for democracy.
Recorded on July 29, 2024

In the eyes of the nation and the world, the American presidency is a steadfast institution, one that symbolizes the United States' enduring strength and international leadership. In reality, the presidency is ever-evolving, as the contours of its powers and the expectations that come with them are continually reshaped by those who hold the office. Drawing on interviews with multiple living US presidents, including George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as conversations with leading presidential historians, David M. Rubenstein sits down with Douglas Brinkley to explore the history, responsibility, and myths surrounding America's highest office.
Recorded on September 23, 2024

Donald Trump’s so-called “hush money” trial was a historic episode in Trump’s unprecedented political career. The trial provided unique insight into the freedoms and limitations of the American presidency, and how our political system is and isn’t equipped to respond to complex intersections of the law and the country’s highest office. Jonathan Alter—one of only a handful of journalists present in the courtroom in April 2024—joins us to discussTrump’s trial, its aftermath, and the larger context in which the judicial struggle unfolded.
Recorded on December 5, 2024

The complex legacy of Jimmy Carter’s one-term presidency remains poorly understood by the American public. Often wholly overshadowed by the era-defining Reagan administration that would follow, Carter’s four years at the nation’s helm reflect a unique and singular American leader, one with deep moral convictions and who asked questions of the nation that may have been ahead of their time. Author Kai Bird sits down with David Rubenstein to examine the triumphs and challenges of the Carter administration.
Recorded on June 11, 2021

An almost mythic figure in American sports history, Jim Thorpe is remembered for his unrivaled athletic talents. He was an Olympic gold medalist, an All-American football player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a Major League Baseball player. In spite of his sporting prowess, however, Thorpe’s life was marked by struggle, from the discrimination he faced as a Native American to the controversial rescinding of his Olympic medals. Author David Maraniss joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss the trials and triumphs of an American sports legend.
Recorded on August 23, 2024

Once a dedicated general of the Confederate army, risking his life in defense of slavery, James Longstreet’s life took an unprecedented turn in the years after America’s bloody civil war. After fighting alongside Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg, Longstreet became a staunch supporter of Black voting rights during Reconstruction and even led an interracial militia into battle against a white supremacist insurrection in Louisiana. Historian Elizabeth Varon joins David Rubenstein for this eye-opening discussion of one of the Civil War’s most complex figures.
Recorded on September 7, 2024

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Rick Atkinson joins David Rubenstein to uncover the untold stories and moral conflicts—from both the American and British perspective—of the first 21 months of the Revolutionary War. Through the lens of a rich cast of characters, Atkinson makes clear the human consequences of this epic conflict at the dawn of the American story that pitted an ersatz Continental Army against the formidable British empire.
Recorded on February 5, 2024

The women’s suffrage movement was a hard-fought, decades-long campaign to extend that most essential of democratic rights to all Americans regardless of sex. That protracted struggle would rapidly come to a head in August of 1920 in Tennessee, the final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment. Author and journalist Elaine Weiss talks with David Rubenstein about the struggles of the suffragists against misogynistic politics, members of the church, and even other women in that fateful month when everything hung in the balance.
Recorded on September 25, 2020