Michael Beschloss: ‘Even a Great President Like Truman Needed These Strong Voices’

SCARBOROUGH Michael let s ░░░░░░░░ about I wonder when ░░░░░░░░ the last time America ░░░░░░░░ been in such a ░░░░░░░░ position globally And I ░░░░░░░░ say after the election ░░░░░░░░ I said before the ░░░░░░░░ the United States is ░░░░░░░░ most powerful country in ░░░░░░░░ world relative to the ░░░░░░░░ of the world at ░░░░░░░░ time since 1945 right ░░░░░░░░ election results don t ░░░░░░░░ anything they certainly are ░░░░░░░░ that doesn t mean ░░░░░░░░ don t have the ░░░░░░░░ that has the most ░░░░░░░░ weapons threatening to use ░░░░░░░░ nuclear weapons if we ░░░░░░░░ too hard on Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ doesn t mean we ░░░░░░░░ t in for a ░░░░░░░░ war in the Middle ░░░░░░░░ if things don t ░░░░░░░░ cooled down very quickly ░░░░░░░░ historically when is the ░░░░░░░░ time the international stage ░░░░░░░░ this fraught BESCHLOSS Well ░░░░░░░░ you re looking at ░░░░░░░░ moment maybe the late ░░░░░░░░ when the Soviet army ░░░░░░░░ marching through Europe and ░░░░░░░░ Truman as you have ░░░░░░░░ written Joe responded by ░░░░░░░░ NATO and by expanding ░░░░░░░░ defense and also by ░░░░░░░░ the Marshall Plan And ░░░░░░░░ shows that you need ░░░░░░░░ president who s got ░░░░░░░░ advice Who did Truman ░░░░░░░░ He had Dean Acheson ░░░░░░░░ his side he had ░░░░░░░░ Marshall as Secretary of ░░░░░░░░ Even a great president ░░░░░░░░ Truman needed these strong ░░░░░░░░ from the beginning of ░░░░░░░░ time that they came ░░░░░░░░ office And that s ░░░░░░░░ lesson here The other ░░░░░░░░ I m really inspired ░░░░░░░░ is Republican senators seem ░░░░░░░░ least at this moment ░░░░░░░░ little bit more eager ░░░░░░░░ push back on Donald ░░░░░░░░ where they think that ░░░░░░░░ may have acted too ░░░░░░░░ That s something perhaps ░░░░░░░░ didn t expect One ░░░░░░░░ historical lesson Lyndon Johnson ░░░░░░░░ his entourage had almost ░░░░░░░░ one who had the ░░░░░░░░ to tell him this ░░░░░░░░ war in Vietnam is ░░░░░░░░ to be a loser ░░░░░░░░ s going to wreck ░░░░░░░░ country going to wreck ░░░░░░░░ presidency That voice came ░░░░░░░░ of all people Johnson ░░░░░░░░ party leader in the ░░░░░░░░ Mike Mansfield who hated ░░░░░░░░ war thought it was ░░░░░░░░ loser and told Johnson ░░░░░░░░ again and again and ░░░░░░░░ You really need these ░░░░░░░░ voices either in Congress ░░░░░░░░ preferably or combined with ░░░░░░░░ the president s entourage ░░░░░░░░ Well and and you ░░░░░░░░ you said the Senate ░░░░░░░░ already shown that they ░░░░░░░░ not willing to give ░░░░░░░░ their the constitutional prerogative ░░░░░░░░ advice.”