Podcast
Letters from an American
Hosted by HCR · EN
Heather Cox Richardson's narrated newsletter about the history behind today's politics.
77episodes
Episodes
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Testing the Limits
1w ago00:16:02Tap to summarizeGet full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
Transcribe →One of the Highest Moral Lessons
1w ago00:10:24Tap to summarizeJune 14, 2026On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army, The Battles of Lexington and Concord had made it clear that the British government endangered American liberties, Congress then named Virginia planter George Washington as its commander-in-chief, Defending the country without creating a military that could be used to repress the people was a challenge, The army was overlooked by Congress and funds were not available for food or supplies for the militiamen encamped at Valley Forge, PA, When France signed a treaty with the American states in February 1778, they lent money, material, and men to the cause of American independence, The Treaty of Paris formally ended the war in September 1783, and Congress disbanded the army, Washington stepped aside from military leadership, addressing Congress in December, Painter John Trumbull called his retirement one of the highest moral lessons ever given to the world. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
Transcribe →A Trump Stunt
1w ago00:06:35Tap to summarizeJune 13, 2026The head of the Kennedy Center certified to the court that the Center and its board have complied with the order to remove Trump’s name from the building, They have not removed the tarp installed over the Center's portico, The Kennedy Center spokesperson said that the board was evaluating legal options, UFC fighters held a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial in advance of the cage fight planned for the White House on Trump’s birthday, The fighters were given the US military’s highest ceremonial formation as they walked down the steps of the Memorial, Stunts were performed on the South Lawn of the White House, Trump posted multiple images of himself on social media, The UFC fighters will enter the ring from the Oval Office and the whole thing will be carried live - for a fee. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
Transcribe →Unlawful Government Action
1w ago00:11:03Tap to summarizeJune 12, 2026Today was the deadline for removing Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center, The DOJ asked for a stay, but Judge Christopher Cooper ruled against them, The Kennedy Center board then filed an emergency appeal, alleging that the board would strip all funding unless Trump’s name remains on the building, The Washington National Opera has filed a suit claiming they are owed $17 million of the money Trump says now belongs to the Kennedy Center, Trump has seized funds appropriated for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Federal agencies and the UFC are putting at least $60 million toward the White House cage fight scheduled for Trump’s 80th birthday, Trump brags about the gilding of the horse sculptures by the Lincoln Memorial, The sculptures and Trump's proposed arch echo Victor Orbán’s use of architecture and memorials as symbols, Before day's end, the appeals court denied the motion to stay the removal of Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center and the removal was underway overnight.Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
Transcribe →Signs of Frustration
2w ago00:13:31Tap to summarizeJune 11, 2026Trump began the day threatening to strike Iran and to take Kharg Island, Trump has not gotten congressional approval for continuing action in Iran, Fox News hosts are urging Trump to increase US military involvement in Iran, claiming a decisive win will be swift, Trump compares Iran to Venezuela, The US appears to be controlling Venezuela’s oil exports, but there is no transparency around the arrangement and Democrats have sent a formal request for an audit, The mood at the White House is reported to be angry and Trump is pushing his demands for military funding, the passage of the SAVE America Act, and installation of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, Republicans joined Democrats to reject a measure to extend FISA, Then Trump pulled back, reversing the plan to strike Iran, and nominating Jay Clayton to be the next director of national intelligence.Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
Transcribe →Trying to Rewrite the Story
2w ago00:11:36Tap to summarizeJune 10, 2026Inflation in May hit its highest level since early 2023, Trump seems unconcerned - revising the story by suggesting that the hit to the economy was strategic, Trump is also rewriting the history of the war that he started in Iran, Reporters in the NY Times have brought Jeffrey Epstein back into the news, suggesting panic in the White House, JD Vance has pressed to have Tim Walz and Keith Ellison of Minnesota investigated for fraud, An Iranian drone downed a US helicopter, Tump has launched new airstrikes against Iran, Oil prices jumped with the news of the strikes, Trump is pressuring the Republicans to provide additional funding for the military and to pass the SAVE American bill.Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
Transcribe →A Very Big Deal Indeed
2w ago00:11:57Tap to summarizeJune 9, 2026A Very Big Deal IndeedTrump has officially nominated Todd Blanche to become attorney general of the United States, Blanche as formerly Trump’s personal attorney who led the defense team in the case of falsifying records and in the cases for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election and retaining classified documents, Blanche has flouted the law to do Trump’s bidding, The nomination challenges Republican senators to ignore rank and file Republicans, and to break the law, The DOJ has ignored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and Epstein survivors are being threatened by Trump supporters, This nomination encourages the DOJ to bless wide ranging corruption, from allowing foreign interests to invest in Trump family businesses in exchange for preferential treatment, allowing Middle East billionaires to buy access to the president, and to make billions in a crypto currency business that has generated losses for more than a million investors duped by the promise of investing in a Trump business, Reports reveal massive fraud by Hungary’s Viktor Orban before he lost his bid for re-election, Trump is attempting to prevent the kind of defections in his rank that Orban suffered by forcing Republican senators to vote for Blanche’s confirmation, The Blanche confirmation is a very big deal. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
Transcribe →The Right of Conscience
2w ago00:09:49Tap to summarizeJune 8, 2026On June 8, 1789, James Madison of Virginia introduced a series of amendments to the US Constitution, Ten of his amendments would eventually be adopted and become the Bill of Rights, One of the amendments said that no national religion would be established and the full and equal rights of conscience would not be infringed, Madison cared deeply about keeping the government away from religion, believing that representative government was at stake, The reality of these concerns is playing out today, Defense Secretary Hegseth has removed about 180 faith traditions from the list recognized by the Department of Defense, 31 religions are still recognized, 22 of them are Christian denominations, Mormons were originally left off the list, but after an appeal by Sen Mike Lee of Utah to the president, it appears poised to be included, Madison and those who passed and ratified the Bill of Rights believed that to make people’s religion - their right of conscience - depend on the approval of the president would destroy self-government.Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
Transcribe →Trump Walks Out
2w ago00:09:58Tap to summarizeJune 7, 2026Trump walked out on an interview with Meet the Press host Kristen Welker when she challenged his claim that the 2020 presidential election and recent primary in California were rigged, Trump accused the media of being dishonest - which is exactly what he is doing, Scott Pelley, formerly of 60 Minutes, described CBS news director Bari Weiss's demands that he make changes to reporting from the protests in Minneapolis to appease the administration, In his interview, Trump denied facts about the rising price of oil and fertilizer, A federal lawsuit was filed to stop the UFC fights being planned for the White House, which is clearly a money-making venture for the UFC and for Trump.Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
Transcribe →We Deserve to Know What is Happening
2w ago00:12:37Tap to summarizeJune 6, 2026Senate Republicans passed a measure providing additional funding to ICE and CBP, without any of the reforms Democrats had demanded, ICE and CBP will be funded through the end of Trump’s term no matter the outcome of the midterm elections, There has been no public accounting of how the funds for ICE and CBP are being spent, Democratic amendments caused an 18 hour debate that forced Republicans to vote against measures that are popular, making their stands clear, A whistleblower says that DOGE planned to make immigrants self deport by declaring 2.7 million of them dead, The number of deaths of immigrants in detention is rising, Sen Andy Kim of New Jersey is keeping attention on what is happening at Delaney Hall detention center, but ICE is impeding oversight, Secretary of Defense Hegseth was in France for the anniversary of D-Day, where he perverted the commemoration in a speech which advanced the ideas on which fascism was based, We remember Winston Churchill, who promised that those who care about freedom and self determination would never stop fighting the Nazis.Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
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