Heather Cox RichardsonEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

Friends, Here’s my conversation today with Heather Cox Richardson, in which we examine the origins of Trumpism. Professor Richardson is, of course, a major resource to all of us on substack. She’s also an historian who has specialized in 19th-century United States history, with a primary focus on American politics and economics. We started our conversation with Heather’s reference to my 1994 talk to the Democratic Leadership Council, and then discussed the decline of the Democratic Party as the party of American workers — starting with Lewis Powell’s memo to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1971, the Supreme Court’s first money-in-politics case Buckley vs. Valeo i n 1976, the House Democrat’s embrace of corporate money in the early 1980s, and my frustrations in dealing with the corporate (“moderate”) Democrats in the 1990s when I was secretary of labor. Now, finally the working-class Democratic Party appears to be making a comeback. We also talk about how the demonization of women by rightwing Republicans has been utilized as a means of aggregating power. My thanks to Heather Cox Richardson for joining me. *** (By the way, for anyone who may be interested, here’s a clip from my 1994 speech, with which Heather and I began today’s conversation: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Monday, August 17, 2026 Today, the Democratic National Committee passed resolutions that could inform the 2028 party platform; the Justice Department is expanding the military’s law enforcement power; the Food and Drug Administration traveled to Mexico a month after linking Taylor Farms to cyclospora outbreak; U.S. and Ukrainian forces went head to head in a drone exercise and Ukraine won; the Tate brothers’ custody hearing was postponed as they fight extradition; a Canadian petition to oust Hoekstra as the ambassador has nearly 200,000 signatures; plus Allison and Dana deliver your Good News. Thank You, IQBAR Text DAILYBEANS to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. Thank You Smalls For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you head to Smalls.com/DAILYBEANS The Trump Epstein Memorial Bookmobile The Daily Beans is proud to partner with Miles Taylor and our friends at DEFIANCE.org For a limited time, members of the Daily Beans community can receive a FREE 3-month full membership to DEFIANCE.org and gain access to one of the fastest-growing pro-democracy movements in America. Join here: https://www.defiance.org/beans Diamond Dames - Subscribe here: Diamond Dames - A Ted Lasso Podcast Diamond Dames - YouTube playlist Guest: Heather Cox Richardson Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson Heather Cox Richardson - YouTube instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson @hcrichardson.bsky.social - Bluesky @HC_Richardson - Twitter The Latest Breakdown→ INSIDE Trump DOJ’s BRUTAL Epstein Court Reckoning Stories Justice Department expands military's power to detain migrants accused of trespassing | CBS News FDA in Mexico a month after linking Taylor Farms to cyclospora outbreak | The Washington Post Democrats disagree over abolishing or reforming ICE at DNC meeting | AP News Tate brothers custody hearing postponed as they fight U.K. extradition | NBC News Good Trouble Cards Against Humanity - Elon has no Friends →Friday August 28 in DC March On Washington 2026 - <a href="http://marchonwas

President Donald Trump is obsessed with the past. Last night, Trump gave a primetime address about his favorite subject: the 2020 election, which he did not win. But as we have just celebrated America’s 250th birthday, many of us are thinking a lot about the past – and what our history has to do with the future of our country. Heather Cox Richardson is a history professor at Boston College and the author of the Substack “Letters from an American.” We talked about America’s past, what historical moments remind her most of right now, and why – despite everything – she’s hopeful about the future.And in headlines, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin gives a White House briefing doubling down on Trump’s election claims, the US expands its attacks in what feels like the never-ending war against Iran , and federal officials have identified a source of the outbreak of the diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora.Show Notes: Check out Heather's work – heathercoxrichardson.substack.com Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com

Thank you Michael Scarmack , Scotland Explained , Oakbridges.ca , Kim G , Cathy Stein , and many others for tuning into my live video with Heather Cox Richardson ! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Paul Krugman at paulkrugman.substack.com/subscribe

As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, Scott Galloway speaks with historian Heather Cox Richardson to discuss the future of American democracy. They explore Trump's politics of spectacle, the war in Iran, the state of both political parties, and what history suggests comes next. Subscribe to Prof G+ to join our next livestream here. Want to listen to this and other episodes ad-free? You can, if you subscribe at profgmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 🚨 INSIDER ALERT: PROPRIETARY ACCESS The difference between a CEO and an employee is information velocity. We’...

Sometimes you just need some historical context to deal with all… THIS. Fortunately that’s exactly what returning champion Heather Cox Richardson does! And then, with little context at all, we drop in on Indonesia for a new “Bonnie and Toni’s Oral Report!” GUEST Heather Cox Richardson heathercoxrichardson.substack.com HOUSE BAND Andra Bohnet andrabohnet.com SPONSORS For a limited time, our listeners can get $20 OFF the Waver Vibration Plate plus Free Shipping with code PAULA at lifeprofitness.com For a limited time, try OneSkin with 15% off using code PAULA at oneskin.co/PAULA For a limited time, Ridge is running their HUGE Father’s Day Sale where you can get up to 40% off their best gear. Just head to ridge.com/PAULA Head to Factormeals.com/paula50off and use code paula50off to get 50% off and free daily greens per box, with new subscription only, while supplies last until 09/27/2026. See website for more details! Go to helixsleep.com/paula for 20% off sitewide! For a limited time our listeners are getting a free gift on their first purchase when they use code POUNDSTONE at checkout. ⁠Jonesroadbeauty.com⁠ and use code POUNDSTONE at checkout! For a limited time, our listeners can get 40% OFF select Lola Blankets products with code PAULA at checkout. LolaBlankets.com⁠ Use our exclusive link to save 20% off Honeylove at honeylove.com/PAULA Go to ⁠Quince.com/nobody⁠ for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five-day returns. Now available in Canada! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m posting our Wednesday conversation as this week’s video. Transcript below. . . . TRANSCRIPT: Paul Krugman in Conversation with Heather Cox Richardson (recorded 5/20/26) Heather Cox Richardson: How are you doing, Professor Krugman? I know you’re on vacation. Paul Krugman: Yeah. As I wrote the other day, I’m in Europe, which means I don’t have to think about Trump 100% of the time, only about 90%. So that’s a little bit of release psychologically. HCR: It’s really astonishing, isn’t it? But hopefully we don’t talk entirely about him today. I’m actually interested and would love to hear what you have to say about artificial intelligence, not itself as an entity, but as a factor in the economy. Because boy, it sure looks to me like we are way overinvested in AI. I think the growth on the stock market is basically AI companies. We know now that there’s more construction in AI data centers than there is in commercial real estate. And I’m wondering, can we just talk about that and you walk us through what this looks like? Because everybody keeps saying, “Oh, it’s a bubble like the housing bubble or like the dot-com bubble.” And I’m looking at it and saying… PK : Obviously, history is mostly what we have to go on. There have been many bubbles like this. There’s some broad similarities to dot-com, which was also a telecommunication thing. It also looks like the canal bubble in England, which was earlier. Most of the bubbles were pretty clearly bubbles at the time and that was certainly true for dot-com which I sort of still remember in real time. But with AI, I’m finding that the contrasts with the late 90s bubble are really illuminating. Obviously it’s again technology with lots of investment. There’s an enormous enthusiasm of a kind, but in other ways, it’s quite different. HCR : Well, let’s start with this. What exactly is a bubble? PK : Yeah, it’s always a question, but a bubble more or less means that people are investing in something that has no realistic chance of paying off—not socially but just commercially, to an extent that justifies the amount of money being thrown at it. Crucially, a bubble is something that people do because everyone else is doing it. So, Robert Shiller, the great bubble theorist of modern economics, said that a bubble is a natural Ponzi scheme. It’s something where you get in and you make money because other people get in, and people keep on coming in because everybody before them made money. But in the end, it’s a game where the money isn’t really there. It all depends on fresh crops of suckers coming in. And at some point you run out of suckers. So that is a Ponzi scheme, especially when someone like a Bernie Madoff does it deliberately in a bubble. It also happens naturally. Nobody is orchestrating it but nonetheless the logic of it is the same as a Ponzi scheme. So basically, it’s a lot like pornography where you know it when you see it. But it’s not just the fact that people are wrong but that people are wrong in a way that should have been predictable and where it’s really something that is sustained by the momentum, by the fact that other people keep on coming in until they don’t. HCR : Okay, so when historians talk about this, they example they often use is tulips. It’s something that you can explain to people as a reference because it’s kind of a cool story. When you take it out of the economic system that we understand now, it’s easier to see. PK : Yeah, I mean, I’m not really fond of the tulips analogy but sort of the first thing that people think of as being something like a modern bubble was the tulip mania in the Netherlands. 17th century Netherlands was not quite the first modern economy because they weren’t

Thank you Quentin Hardy , Beth Arnold , Jane Trombley , Resistance Media , Victoria Priya , and many others for tuning into my live video with Heather Cox Richardson ! Join me for my next live video in the app. Transcript HCR: Hey, everybody here from Bonita Springs, Florida and Elgin, Illinois and Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington, Fairbanks, Alaska. Boy, it must be getting beautiful up there right now. Newfoundland, Canada, Oak Park, Illinois. Still, we do not have a duplicate Plano, Texas. Then we got I think we got Oak Park, Illinois. That’s two Illinois. We got Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Vienna, Austria. Where is our Facebook? from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dublin, Ohio. And Kristen is here from Facebook. So welcome, everybody. And here, Dr. Krugman and I go again with Lunch Money. Hey, Paul, how are you? PK: Hi, I’m good. How are you? HCR: I’m good. We have spring here, finally, which is unbelievable. PK: We’re hitting 86 this afternoon in New York. HCR: Oh, I can be there in about three hours. We’re not going to be 60. PK: So yeah, here from beautiful New York City, actually more or less across the street from the Empire State Building. This is my academic office. HCR: Oh, that’s nice. That’s nice. I’m just across from trees. Listen, so the world is changing so quickly that it’s kind of hard to get your mind around it. And one of the things that jumped out to me this week was the degree to which we’re focusing on the loss of soft power. We’re looking at the loss of you know, the idea of American military dominance. That’s another question. But I’m really interested in what it means for the U.S. economy to have taken such a dramatic turn away from dominance around the world. And what got me thinking was I did an interview the other day with Vanessa Williamson of the Brookings Institution about taxes, right? And she really offhandedly said, well, you know, we have this thing in economics called the resource curse, where if you have a country that has a reliance on an easily accessible resource like gold or oil or whatever, it means that they don’t really the leaders don’t really have to pay any attention to the people, because they can just dig it out of the ground. And she said, I’ve always kind of thought that maybe America’s resource curse was the fact that we were the world’s reserve currency. So we could borrow as much money as we wanted at really low prices. But that’s changing. And she just kind of threw it out there. And I thought, oh, my heavens, I have never thought about this at all that way. And I thought to come to you and say, I don’t know if she was right. I don’t know if this makes any sense at all, but what are we looking at in terms of the economy with the extraordinary instability of the United States on the world stage right now? PK: Okay, so let me first of all just say that, one resource curse that we have in the U.S. is an actual resource curse. We would not be rejecting renewable energy, we would not be rejecting electrotech, probably, if we didn’t have all of this oil and gas. That in some sense, our politics are kind of polluted by the power of our own fossil fuel industry. And that’s actually probably ending up being an economic disadvantage. So just to say that we’re not that diff

Thank you Teresa Hanafin , Lisa Gonzalez , Stephanie G Wilson, PhD , Nenad Georgievski , Diane Osgood , and many others for tuning into my live video with Heather Cox Richardson ! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Paul Krugman at paulkrugman.substack.com/subscribe

Monday, February 16th, 2026 Today, the feds got caught lying again about an assault on ICE officers and are forced to dismiss the charges; Homeland Security is demanding social media sites hand over data on anti-ICE users; Ring cameras cut their ties to Flock surveillance after political backlash; Russ Vought is using USAID funds to pay for his security detail; the puppy killer side piece Corey Lewandowski demanded a government issued firearm; a judge ends the deportation case for the father of three marines; another judge rebukes the feds for denying counsel for detainees; in a victory for Democrats the Virginia Supreme Court rules the 10 to 1 redistricting can move forward; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News. Thank You, Helix 27% Off Sitewide Helix Flash sale, when you go to HelixSleep.com/dailybeans Thank You, HoneyLove Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/DAILYBEANS #honeylovepod #sponsored Guest: Heather Cox Richardson Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson Heather Cox Richardson - YouTube instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson @hcrichardson.bsky.social - Bluesky @HC_Richardson - Twitter ​​ Democracy Awakening Notes on the State of America by Heather Cox Richardson Heather Cox Richardson and Allison Gill Discuss Republican Spying and Weaponized Justice The Latest Allison Gill and Katie Phang Discuss the Republican Surveillance State Beans Talk | DHS is Watching You Stories DOJ drops charges against 2 men accused of assaulting ICE officers in Minneapolis | CBS News Homeland Security Demands Social Media Sites Reveal Names Behind Anti-ICE Posts | The New York Times Noem adviser Lewandowski sought to carry a firearm at DHS, alarming officials | MS NOW Exclusive: White House uses USAID funds for budget director Vought's security, documents show | Reuters Trump insider Tom Barrack kept in regular contact with Jeffrey Epstein for years, files show | CBS News In victory for Democrats, Virginia Supreme Court says redistricting vote can go forward | Democracy Docket Good Trouble Wednesday, February 24 at 6 PM in Funkstown, MD. State of Maryland and Washington County residents have an opportunity to voice our outrage at ICE's expansion in our great community. Kate For The People → How to Film ICE | WIRED →<a href="http://w

To kick off Season 2 of the podcast, and as President Trump begins the second year of his second (and final) term, we're stepping back to take stock of the current moment. Chelsea and historian Heather Cox Richardson, who helps millions of people contextualize the news every day through her widely read newsletter, dig into the erosion of democratic norms in the United States, the politicization of public health, the horrific rise in political violence, and what it means to be a citizen in 2026. Heather has sharp opinions on the violence in Minneapolis, Trump’s mental acuity, and reasons to stay hopeful and engaged. You can follow Heather Cox Richardson on Facebook , YouTube , and subscribe to her newsletter here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/ . The Clinton Foundation is a world-renowned, non-partisan organization that develops leaders and accelerates solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. To learn more and be a part of the work, visit www.clintonfoundation.org . Stay up to date with Lemonada on X , Facebook , and Instagram . For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors . Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at lemonadapremium.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s officially been one year of Trump 2.0—and it’s hard to overstate just how much has changed. Trump is back in the Oval Office with fewer guardrails, a more loyal team, and a far greater willingness to push presidential power than ever before. Jessica Tarlov sits down with historian and Letters from an American writer Heather Cox Richardson to take stock of Trump’s first year back in office—how history may remember it, what it means to have a president with so few constraints, his open assault on truth and democratic norms, and whether the U.S. is sliding toward an imperial presidency. Then, they turn to Trump’s unlikely transformation from anti-globalist firebrand to guest of honor in Davos—and what that shift says about today’s global order and the possible unraveling of the post–World War II diplomatic system. And finally, they unpack the sudden wave of 2016 nostalgia online: why people are longing for that moment, and what we’re really missing when we call it “the last normal year.” Follow Jessica Tarlov, @JessicaTarlov . Follow Prof G, @profgalloway . Follow Raging Moderates, @RagingModeratesPod . Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RagingModerates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

Every once in a while, a voice emerges that helps us see clearly through the fog of confusion and fear. Historian Heather Cox Richardson , professor at Boston College, is one of those voices. She doesn’t just teach history, she connects it to the moment we are living in, revealing how the patterns of the past are unfolding before our eyes today. In this powerful conversation first shared by Red Wine & Blue , Richardson reminds us that what we’re witnessing in America is not unprecedented, it’s the familiar rise of authoritarianism we’ve seen before in history. The danger is real, but so is our power to stop it. She makes one thing clear: our best chance to save democracy is in the 2025 elections, not years from now. This episode explores how we, as citizens, can push back against the forces behind Project 2025—a blueprint for dismantling democratic institutions from the inside out. It begins with local action: electing leaders in our towns, school boards, and statehouses who will defend truth, equality, and justice. Across the country, women are standing up—winning Supreme Court races in Wisconsin, flipping Senate seats in Iowa, and proving that courage and conviction can overcome extremism. Heather Cox Richardson’s brilliance lies in her ability to bring calm reason to chaos. She helps us understand not only what is happening, but what each of us can do to change the course of history—one conversation, one friend, one vote at a time. Her words will give you hope, clarity, and direction. She reminds us that each of us holds the power to make a difference—and that by acting where we live, we can shape the future of our nation. Listen. Reflect. Act. Because saving democracy begins with you. If the content in this episode resonates with you, feel free to reach out to: jackalyn@dtp-leadership.com . Support the show on Patreon - https://patreon.com/drjackalyn

Scott Galloway speaks with Heather Cox Richardson, a historian at Boston College and author of Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America , as well as the widely-read Substack Letters from an American . They discuss the ‘No Kings’ protests and what they reveal about the state of U.S. democracy, the erosion of moral and corporate leadership, and the redefinition of patriotism in a polarized America. Heather explains how history helps us understand today’s authoritarian drift, why civic courage has faded among elites, and how national service could help rebuild a shared sense of purpose. Follow Heather, @heathercoxrichardson . Algebra of Happiness: closing the gap between your blessings and your mood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

California governor Gavin Newsom and I chatted earlier today about his announcement that California will hold a special election on November 4 for voters to consider redistricting the state temporarily if Texas redistricts to give President Donald Trump the five additional seats to which he believes he is “entitled.” Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

424. We’re Taking Patriotism Back with Heather Cox Richardson Historian, writer, and truth-teller Heather Cox Richardson joins us to expose how patriotism has been hijacked by those undermining democracy, equality, and truth—and to show us how to reclaim it as a force for justice, unity, and hope. -Debunking the myth of rugged individualism—and revealing why community has always been our greatest strength-How the far Right hijacked patriotism, demonized equality, and rebranded justice as socialism-The $50 trillion heist: How the top 1% looted the wealth of 90% of Americans—and got away with it Find Heather Cox Richardson’s Substack at https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/ . Heather Cox Richardson is a professor of history at Boston College and an expert on American political and economic history. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning How the South Won the Civil War and her latest, the New York Times bestseller Democracy Awakening . Her work has appeared in The Washington Post , The New York Times , and The Guardian , among other outlets. Her widely read newsletter, Letters from an American , synthesizes history and modern political issues.

Our season finale is a bit of a pep talk. America is in a precarious place, but Americans everywhere are speaking up against the authoritarian threat. Historian extraordinaire Heather Cox Richardson joins Sarah to discuss the lessons history leaves for this moment, and Americans' role in fighting back. By Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from an American Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America

Jojo from Jerz brings together legal heavyweight George Conway and historian Heather Cox Richardson for a candid, unscripted conversation about the chaos of June 2025. With Trump launching strikes on Iran, Congress sidelined, and the world on edge, Jo, George, and Heather cut through the noise to ask: How did we get here—and what happens next? George & Heather swap stories from their Harvard days and dig into the psychology of Trump’s power: Why do smart people keep caving to him? Why does the GOP keep bending the knee? And what does history tell us about strongmen, performative politics, and the collapse—or survival—of democracy? From the performative presidency to the dangers of unchecked executive power, the trio breaks down the legal, historical, and human stakes of this moment. They talk about the Supreme Court, the role of institutions, and why—when the rule of law is on the ropes—the only thing left is for people to get out in the streets and fight for what matters Subscribe and Follow Jo: https://linktr.ee/jojofromjerz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Michael in his discussion with Heather Cox Richardson about where we have come since the publication of her book Democracy Awakening in 2023. Heather Cox Richardson is a professor of history at Boston College and an expert on American and political history. She is the author of a widely read Substack newsletter, Letters from an American which synthesizes history and modern political issues. This is her seventh book. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Stacey speaks with historian Heather Cox Richardson to see what history can teach us about moving forward after Trump’s reelection. They discuss strategies for countering disinformation, how Democratic leaders are preparing to use states’ rights to their advantage to challenge Trump’s federal overreach, and how the era following William McKinley’s presidency can be a guide for progressives. Then, Stacey answers questions from the audience on how to get involved in politics, and how to respond to community in this post-election environment. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here . For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. We want to hear your questions. Send us an email at assemblyrequired@crooked.com or leave us a voicemail at 213-293-9509. You and your question might be featured on the show. Learn & Do More: Read Heather Cox Richardson’s nightly newsletter, “Letters from an American”, or her book, “Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America”. Build community and find ways to help locally at Unitedway.org

James and Al tear into Trump for seeking bribes from Big Oil, blast the MSM for failing to cover what matters, share their take on the recent polls and primaries, and welcome historian Heather Cox Richardson. They draw parallels between contemporary politics and the Civil War era, exploring MAGA’s regressive roots, our democracy’s war with demagoguery, the electorate’s disillusionment, and why J6 represents a new “Lost Cause”. They also cover the corruption of the judicial system and the modern Republican party, calling for a revival of populism to revitalize our system and put in guardrails to protect it. Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon . Make sure to include your city, we love to hear where you’re from! Watch James Carville Explains on YouTube Playlist James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack Get More From This Week’s Guest: Heather Cox Richardson: Twitter | Boston College | Substack | Facebook | Author of “Democracy Awakening” & Many Other Books Please Support Our Sponsors: ExpressVPN: Control your data, defend your privacy, and protect yourself online with 3 free months on a VPN plan when you go to expressvpn.com/warroom 3 Day Blinds: For their buy 1 get 1 50% off deal, head to 3DayBlinds.com/warroom Beam: Sleep better with Beam’s best-selling Dream Powder and get up to 40% off for a limited time when you go to shopbeam.com/warroom and use code: WARROOM

Heather Cox Richardson is a Professor of History at Boston College. She has written many award-winning books about American history, American politics, and the history of the Republican Party through the Trump administration. In her most recent book, Democracy Awakening, Cox Richardson offers an analysis of how America, historically seen as a “beacon of democracy” is now on the brink of autocracy—and what we can do about it. Cox Richardson’s daily newsletter, Letters from an American, is published on substack.

Host Reed Galen is joined by Author, Historian, and Boston College History Professor, Heather Cox Richardson . They discuss the road the Republican party took to reach its current status, why Donald Trump (and those in his image) offer a dangerous/autocratic future, and why democracy (while imperfect) is the best path to achieve the America we want. For more from Heather Cox Richardson, check out her latest book, Democracy Awakening: Notes of the State of America , listen to the Now and Then podcast, and subscribe to her Letters from an American Substack. For more from Reed Galen, be sure to subscribe to “The Home Front” . If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project , send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Author, Historian, and Boston College History Professor, Heather Cox Richardson . They discuss the road the Republican party took to reach its current status, why Donald Trump (and those in his image) offer a dangerous/autocratic future, and why democracy (while imperfect) is the best path to achieve the America we want. For more from Heather Cox Richardson, check out her latest book, Democracy Awakening: Notes of the State of America , listen to the Now and Then podcast, and subscribe to her Letters from an American Substack. For more from Reed Galen, be sure to subscribe to “The Home Front” . If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project , send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyday, Boston College historian Heather Cox Richardson writes the newsletter, Letters from an American, A newsletter about the history behind today's politics. You can get it here. It is one of the most popular newsletters in America with over 1.3 million daily subscribers. That's a lot. She is a Professor of History at Boston College, where she teaches courses on the American Civil War, the Reconstruction Era, the American West, and the Plains Indians. Her latest book is Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America. This is the book we saw President Biden buy on his Thanksgiving vacation. You can get it here. On the podcast Bill and Professor Richardson discuss the importance of the upcoming presidential election and the threat to democracy in the United States. They also touch on topics such as the role of race and religion in American politics, the Ukraine conflict, and the potential for a two-state solution in the Middle East. Richardson expresses optimism about the future, citing historical examples of Americans standing up for democracy in challenging times. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The United Food and Commercial Workers Union. They are the union members we most often see at our grocery stores, pharmacies, and retail department stores. They also work in food processing plants and in the cannabis industry. More information at UFCW.org . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Roxanne Coady talks with Heather Cox Richardson the bestselling author of Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America Historian and author of the newsletter Letters From An American explores the roots and complexities of American democracy, the challenges we face in the present, and the potential paths forward. Buy the book from RJ Julia Democracy Awakening - Heather Cox Richardson Sign up for our podcast newsletter Just The Right Book Subscription Promo Code (15% off): Podcast Email us at: podcast@rjjulia.com

Jen welcomes historian and author Heather Cox Richardson to explore the historical continuum of the Right’s war on freedom and equality from before the Civil War through the rise of MAGA. They discuss how the Southern oligarchy of the Bleeding Kansas era used race to push the average citizen to vote against their interests, and lay out how that authoritarian legacy continues to drive limitations on voting rights, sustain racism and misogyny, and undergird our politics with violence. Will we be able to overcome the forces still conspiring against our rights to continue perfecting our democracy? Please Support This Week’s Sponsor: HelloFresh: Enjoy 50% off plus free shipping with delicious HelloFresh meals delivered right to your door when you go to hellofresh.com/50greenroom and use promo code: 50GREENROOM Get More From This Week’s Guest: Heather Cox Richardson: Twitter | Boston College | Substack | Facebook | Author of “Democracy Awakening” & Many Other Books Get More From Jennifer Rubin: Twitter | WaPo | Author of “Resistance: How Women Saved Democracy From Donald Trump”