John Heilemann talks with Michael Beschloss, NBC News Presidential Historian, host of Fireside History with Michael Beschloss on Peacock/MSNBC, and author of ten books focusing on occupants of the Oval Office, about President Biden’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine war. In the wake of Biden’s declarations that Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power and should be tried for war crimes, Beschloss draws parallels between Biden’s morale clarity on the war and President Reagan’s denunciation of the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” back in 1983. Beschloss also explains why, in his view, Biden’s political and personal backgrounds have made him uniquely suited to unify the NATO alliance and defend democracy against Russian aggression. Tune in to the full episode to learn about the ongoing risk of Russia deploying nuclear weapons and the lessons U.S. decision-makers can take from the Cuban Missile Crisis, and how foreign policy crises have reshaped American presidencies, from World War II’s effect on the legacies of FDR and Truman to Vietnam’s stain on the record of Lyndon B. Johnson.
