Podcast Summary: Kennedy Saves the World Episode: Happy Hour: Bret Baier’s Teddy Roosevelt Adventure
Date: October 24, 2025
Host: Kennedy
Guest: Bret Baier (Anchor, Author of "To Rescue the American Spirit: Teddy Roosevelt and the Birth of a Superpower")

Episode Overview

This lively episode features a spirited conversation over drinks between Kennedy and Fox News anchor/author Bret Baier, centered around his new book on Theodore Roosevelt. The discussion weaves together Roosevelt’s maverick political energy, outsized personality, impact on American history, media savvy, and enduring relevance in today’s political landscape. With wit and personal anecdotes, the pair delve into historical parallels, lessons for modern America, and Baier’s writing experiences.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Teddy Roosevelt?

• Inspiration to Write About Roosevelt
  Baier explains that Roosevelt's vivid life, “jumps off the page,” and is rich with dynamic anecdotes and crucial American history ([00:49]).
  • “Historians look at him as one of the top four [presidents] … Lincoln, Washington, FDR and Teddy Roosevelt.” – Baier [00:52]
  • The Roosevelt family background created two political branches: Republican Teddy and Democrat FDR ([01:22]).
  • Roosevelt was a notorious party "troublemaker" in New York politics, forcing reforms and fighting corruption ([01:42]).

2. An Unlikely President

• Roosevelt was shunted into the vice presidency to contain his disruptive energy, only to become the youngest president at 42 after McKinley’s assassination ([02:19]-[03:16]).
• “He thinks this is going to be boring [...] Then obviously, six months in, William McKinley gets assassinated …” – Baier [02:36]
• Kennedy draws a parallel: despite improbability, Roosevelt was exceptionally qualified: military, politics, science ([03:16]-[03:52]).

3. Comparing Roosevelt’s Experience

• Kennedy asks about Kamala Harris’s claim of being “the most qualified ever to run for president,” questioning how modern resumes stack up to Roosevelt ([03:16]).
• Baier jokes, sipping his drink, suggesting Roosevelt’s qualifications were far more substantial ([03:52]).
• Discussion of Roosevelt's press savvy and his similarity to Donald Trump as a media figure ([03:52]-[04:29]).

4. Military Bravado and the Rough Riders

• Transition from Assistant Secretary of the Navy to leading the volunteer Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War ([04:29]-[05:50]).
  • “He recruits these guys… [forming] this Star Wars bar of fighters that he calls the Rough Riders.” – Baier [05:13]
  • Ingeniously included journalists for positive coverage: “He puts them on his boat... that's really how you get all of the in-depth stories of the Rough Riders.” – Baier [05:51]

5. Roosevelt’s Charisma and Tough Upbringing

• Social media would suit Roosevelt’s persona: “He was larger than life then.” – Baier [06:33]
• He overcame childhood frailty through grueling and sometimes bizarre “cures” (like cigars and coffee).
• “What ended up working is outdoors … he becomes really a scientist.” – Baier [07:29]
• Family stories: collecting birds and sharing a room with his brother, who protested the dead bird entrails ([08:04]).

6. Race, Statues, and Historical Memory

• Kennedy asks about the removal of Roosevelt’s statue from the American Museum of Natural History ([08:18]).
• Baier regarding the statue: “I think so. He was a significant figure and … was a reason why some of that stuff was there.” [08:42]

7. Roosevelt’s Foreign Policy and Making America a Superpower

• Roosevelt’s presidency coincided with America shedding Civil War aftershocks and rising as a global power ([09:12]).
• Orchestrated the peace between Russia and Japan (Portsmouth Treaty), earning a Nobel Peace Prize ([09:29]).
• Notable Kennedy quip: “Maybe make America great again.” – Kennedy [09:10].

8. Parallels to Today: Trump and Foreign Policy

• Kennedy inquires about similarities between Roosevelt and Trump, especially as a "peacemaker" ([10:34]).
• Baier: “It's not one to one, but there are a lot of similarities,” highlighting their showmanship and ambition for global impact ([10:50]).
• Discussed Trump’s ongoing efforts for peace deals and potential future Nobel Prize ([11:26]).

9. Writing History in Tumultuous Times

• Baier reflects on the challenge of writing history books as current events reshape their context in real time ([12:14]).
  • “I remind people that we've been in really dark places in our country before, where we've been fractured and yet we've managed to get through.” – Baier [12:14]
• The cyclical nature of American challenges: "finding these nuggets of history… helps us know where we’ve been and often where we're going to go.” – Baier [13:02]

10. Roosevelt’s ‘Strenuous Life’ and Modern Parenting

• Kennedy: “Do you think that the strenuous life is more emblematic [than the Man in the Arena speech]?” ([13:17])
• Baier agrees, linking Roosevelt’s philosophy to his upbringing and urging people to “get in the game” and “make a consequence of your life.” ([13:31])
  • “Don’t throw grenades from the outside. Get in the game, be somebody in the game, and make a consequence of your life.” – Baier [14:01]

11. 2028 Election Speculation

• Kennedy rapid-fire asks Baier who he predicts for next president (Newsom, AOC, JD Vance, Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio) ([14:01]).
• Baier: “I think J.D. Vance has the inside race right now… every time President Trump talks about it, he mentions Marco Rubio … I don't think he's fully decided.” ([14:15])
• Baier describes the volatility in upcoming elections and the influence of congressional outcomes ([14:49]).

12. Writing History vs. Living in the Present

• Kennedy: “What is more fascinating for you… history or the present moment?” ([15:08])
• Baier: “The day to day is probably where the focus is because it's like drinking from a fire hose… But the history stuff helps inform the day to day.” ([15:40])

13. Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Endorsement

• Baier shares pride in receiving a blurb from historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, his “white whale” for book endorsements ([16:14]).

14. Given the Choice: Which President to Cover?

• Kennedy: “If you could have been a reporter in any administration, which would you choose?” ([16:36])
• Baier: Covering Roosevelt “would have been a blast because the guy knew how to make a headline.” ([16:44])

15. The Legendary Milwaukee Assassination Attempt

• Roosevelt survives being shot in the chest, delivers a 45-minute speech bleeding on stage ([17:28]-[17:55]).
  • “He says, ‘I have just been shot, but I want to talk to you more.’ And it continues on for 45 minutes.” – Baier [17:55]
• Roosevelt loses the election as a third-party candidate, paving the way for Wilson ([18:19]).

16. Book Recommendations and Closing Banter

• Kennedy recommends Baier’s book as a holiday gift and jokes about “a little TR in the stocking” ([18:33]-[19:07]).
• Baier plugs collecting all his presidential biographies, “frosted and served” for history-loving readers.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He thinks this is going to be boring. I'm just going to go around the country delivering speeches. And then obviously six months in, William McKinley gets assassinated...”
  – Baier [02:36]
• “He recruits these guys… [forming] this Star Wars bar of fighters that he calls the Rough Riders.”
  – Baier [05:13]
• “Don’t throw grenades from the outside. Get in the game, be somebody in the game, and make a consequence of your life.”
  – Baier [14:01]
• “He says, ‘I have just been shot, but I want to talk to you more.’”
  – Baier [17:55]
• “But the history stuff helps inform the day to day. Like if you can look back at history and say, oh, look at this. Here's perspective from 30,000ft.”
  – Baier [15:40]
• “Maybe make America great again.”
  – Kennedy [09:10]

Timestamps of Important Segments

| Segment/Topic | Timestamp | |:-------------------------------------------|:-----------:| | Introduction and book launch | [00:10] | | Roosevelt's background, family, and ascent | [00:42]-[03:16] | | Roosevelt vs. Modern Politicians | [03:16]-[03:52] | | Spanish-American War/Rough Riders | [04:29]-[06:12] | | Roosevelt’s childhood and outdoors life | [06:33]-[08:06] | | Museum statue debate and significance | [08:18]-[09:10] | | U.S. foreign policy turn, Nobel Prize | [09:29]-[10:11] | | Roosevelt/Trump comparisons | [10:34]-[11:26] | | Writing history amid current events | [12:14]-[13:02] | | Strenuous Life and parenting | [13:17]-[14:01] | | 2028 election predictions | [14:15]-[15:08] | | History vs. present for Baier | [15:40] | | Doris Kearns Goodwin story | [16:14] | | Covering presidents as a reporter | [16:44] | | Milwaukee assassination attempt | [17:28]-[17:55] | | Book recommendations and closing | [18:33]-[19:07] |

Tone and Language

The conversation is lighthearted, witty, and conversational, mixing deep historical insight with banter, drink clinks, and humor. Kennedy’s irreverent curiosity pairs well with Baier’s enthusiasm for presidential history and knack for explaining complexities in an inviting, readable way.

A must-listen for history buffs, modern politics watchers, and anyone interested in the wild, inspiring saga of Theodore Roosevelt—and the lessons he left for today’s America.