Rutgers University
David Greenberg is Professor of History and of Journalism and Media Studies at Rutgers University, and the author of Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American Presidency. A former contributing editor at the New Republic, he writes for several publications including Slate, the New York Times Book Review and the Op-Ed pages of the Los Angeles Times.
Is Donald Trump thumbing his nose at the Founding Fathers? The Constitution prohibits public officials — including the President — from financial conflicts of interest — domestic or foreign. Recent Chief Executives have sold off assets or placed them in blind trusts, but Donald Trump’s lawyer says there’s no way he could be “blind” to his very public investments. Trump may be violating America's basic law the moment he takes the oath of office a week from today. Many legal scholars -- and ethics watchdogs -- say he's failed to avoid financial conflicts as demanded by the Constitution. But as opponents whisper about possible impeachment, other experts insist he's done all that he can as the richest man ever elected to serve in the White House. We hear about Constitutional law -- and politics: is Trump right to say that most Americans don't care enough to make him change?
Is the White House Press Corps Really Necessary? Veteran White House reporters say the vague promise that the president will take questions in the briefing room has become all too common. But that moment seldom comes, and social media has made it easier than ever for presidents to master the art of avoiding reporters and controlling the message. With the latest White House Correspondents' Dinner scheduled for this weekend, what are the consequences for democracy when spin trumps journalism? President Obama addresses the press, November 3, 2010 Official White House photo by Pete Souza
Fifty Years Later: The Legacy of JFK Much of America will stop for a moment today to observe the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination . Tens of thousands turned out for a moment of silence in Dallas, and the media hype is unavoidable. The President was gunned down in Dealey Plaza in the midst of the Cold War, at the beginning of the civil rights revolution. His presidency of less than three years had its ups and downs, but polls consistently show most Americans call it one of the greatest. Historians aren't so sure. So why is JFK so highly regarded? Why haven't negative revelations tarnished his image? We separate the man from the myth and look at how the memories of presidents are shaped by symbolism as well as historical facts.
Separating Fact and Fiction: Truth and Lies in American Politics Today Nobody should be surprised when politicians distort the facts or tell outright lies. In 2007, the St. Petersburg Times introduced a feature called PolitiFact . It's complete with a "Truth-O-Meter," and a range from "True" through "Mostly True" to "Mostly False," "False" and finally, "Pants on Fire." PolitiFact joined the Annenberg Public Policy Center's FactCheck.org . The Washington Post now has a regular feature called The Fact Checker . While such checkers promise to give voters the truth, they themselves are critiqued from the Right and the Left, accused of choosing the facts they check according to hidden agendas. Does one side lie more than the other? Do the media add to the confusion by trying to find "balance" between the two or are "facts" really what voters want to know? If so, why do they sometimes cling to beliefs in proven falsehoods?
Barack Obama and the Military-Industrial Complex As he considers General McChrystal's request for more troops in Afghanistan, President Obama faces a conflict defined by the Constitution. He is the Commander in Chief, but the US military enjoys at least as much political influence as the civilian authority that is nominally in charge. McCrystal was hand-picked by Obama to change the face of the eight-year-old war, but by publicly advocating a troop increase the President may not want to provide, the military leader has challenged the civilian authority provided by the Constitution. Like Harry Truman, John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, Obama appears to doubt that all-out force will produce the right outcome, but his options may be limited. If he provides what McChrystal asks, will Obama plunge the country into another "quagmire?" If he does anything less, will he be labeled "unpatriotic?"
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.