New York University
Tim Naftali is a clinical associate professor of history and public service at New York University and co-director of its Center for the United States and the Cold War. A presidential historian, he is the author of several books on John F. Kennedy.
Naftali is a former senior research fellow at the New America Foundation and former director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library.
Republican Convention Wrap-Up Donald Trump's vision of America is a major departure from the traditional sunniness of the GOP. The Republican Party may be sharply divided, but delegates on the convention floor last night were enthusiastic about Trump's dark vision of contemporary America. After indulging in a bit of fear-mongering, Trump declared, "I have joined the political arena so that the powerful can no longer beat up on people that cannot defend themselves. Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it." We get perspective from Tim Naftali, a former director of the Nixon Library who teaches history and public service at New York University, and from Walter Shapiro, a columnist for Roll Call and a lecturer at Yale University who is covering his tenth presidential campaign.
History's Worst Vice Presidents From Aaron Burr to Spiro Agnew, presidents and presidential nominees have made some really bad choices for running mate in the past. Now that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are carefully weighing their options for VP, we thought we’d help them by going back to look at some of the worst vice presidents in U.S. history.
A Nation On the Edge President Obama will be in Dallas tomorrow, to memorialize the five police officers gunned down by a sniper last week during a protest against police violence. Today, Police Chief David Brown said protesters deserve protection.
Acting "Presidential": Is That What Voters Want From Candidates? The question of what is "presidential" has become a topic in the presidential race. Donald Trump, responding to calls from his wife and others that he should act more "presidential," mocked the notion that he should adopt a more "presidential" manner this week, saying that he’s the most "presidential-looking" candidate. So, what does it mean to be "presidential"? Is it looks, as Trump would have voters believe? Is it dignity? What do voters want from their presidential candidates?
The Commander in Chief and the Evolution of Terrorism In a rare speech from the oval office last night, President Obama tried to bolster the morale of Americans. He did not outline any new plan to defeat the Islamic State, and Republican reaction ranged from House Speaker Paul Ryan, calling the speech "nothing new," to presidential candidates -- unanimous in saying the president's strategy isn’t working. Nobody has offered a strategy to prevent another San Bernardino with lone wolves acting alone, without any known confederates or Internet presence. Despite the power of military force and electronic surveillance, will the next national nightmare also be revealed only in hindsight?
Who Would Want to Be President? There was another Republican presidential debate last night. What does it take to be up there, and who would want to put themselves through it? And who would think they are qualified to be the leader of the most powerful country on earth?.
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.
Remembering Nixon on His 100th Birthday One of America’s most controversial presidents—the only one to resign from office—was born 100 years ago today. All this year, the Nixon Foundation has been running Centennial observances, including a gala this week in Washington and a gathering last weekend at the farmhouse in Whittier where Nixon was born. Tim Naftali is a former director of the Nixon Library and Museum, who says we should remember his faults as well as his achievements…
The Nixon Library is Official…Finally For years the Richard Nixon library and birthplace foundation in Yorba Linda was a freak in the national Presidential library system. It paid homage to the country’s 37th President but it was missing one thing, the President’s papers. After being forced to resign in 1974, most of Nixon’s papers were seized by the federal government because of ongoing investigations, and it took thirty years of negotiations to free them up. Finally, the opening of the official Nixon library was celebrated today .
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
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?