December 28, 2024 • 24 mins
In this bonus episode, we look back on the year 2024, providing historical context for its dramatic events. We compare and contrast the various US presidents who have faced an impeachment, and examine its impact upon their subsequent political careers. We consider Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump as the only two presidents in American history to be elected to non-consecutive terms. We review some historic aspects of the 2024 presidential campaign, which featured an incumbent president stepping down as his party's nominee, and two assassination attempts against his challenger. Finally, we briefly consider the current domestic and foreign policy challenges that the US government will face during 2025.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Logan (00:00):
From Boomers to Millennials is a modern U.S.
history podcast providing afresh look at 20th century
America.
Welcome to Episode 19B, the Endof 2024 Special.
As I discussed during myinterview with my co-producer
Erin during our last episode,released back in November, we
(00:22):
are striving to get the podcastback on track by putting out
episodes more frequently thanduring the last couple of years.
Unfortunately, the long-awaitedepisode 20 about 1962 will not
be ready until January 2025.
In the meantime, I reallywanted to check in with my
listeners and release some newscripted content before the end
(00:46):
of the year 2024.
For this reason, I've writtenup a few brief thoughts to share
with you about how we mightview the events of 2024 within
the broader scope of modern U.S.
history.
Because upon reflection, it'sbeen a quite historic and
dramatic year.
Let me preface my comments hereby saying that I respect the
(01:09):
fact that members of my audiencehave a diversity of views and
opinions about current events.
For that reason, I intend tofocus my analysis not through
the lens of my own personalbeliefs about how policies
should have been different orabout what I believe ought to
happen in the future in order toaddress various problems.
Instead, I want to focus on howfuture historians will likely
(01:33):
view the significance of theevents of the past year.
So, for a moment, let's try toset aside whatever emotional
baggage we may have about theexhausting year 2024 and just
put its often unprecedentedevents in a historical context.
The first proverbial elephantin the room that needs to be
(01:55):
addressed is is American voters'decision to elect Republican
candidate Donald J.
Trump to a second term in thisyear's presidential election.
Trump will become only thesecond president in U.S.
history to servenon-consecutive terms in office,
following a trail blazed byGrover Cleveland, who is not
(02:15):
exactly a household name in the21st century.
Cleveland was the Democraticgovernor of New York State when
he was first elected to theWhite House in the United States
presidential election of 1884.
At the end of his first term,incumbent President Cleveland
won the nation's popular voteagain during the election of
(02:36):
November 1888, but he wasnarrowly defeated by Republican
Benjamin Harrison in theElectoral College, so he was out
of the White House.
But Grover Cleveland thenexperienced a political comeback
in 1892, when he was once againnominated by the Democratic
Party and went on to defeatPresident Harrison in the
(02:57):
November election.
Cleveland only captured 46% ofthe overall 1892 popular vote, a
plurality rather than anoutright majority, but the
incumbent Harrison's share ofthe vote dropped to only 43%.
The Republican had won 48% backin 1888, and Harrison also fell
(03:18):
short in the Electoral Collegethis time.
The reason that neither majorparty candidate captured an
outright majority in 1892 isthat almost 9% of the nation's
votes, and the electoral votesof five states, went to a third
party candidate, James Weaver ofthe Populist Party.
Interesting movement, by theway, but we don't have time to
(03:39):
get into it.
So anyway, Grover Clevelandserved two non-consecutive
terms, and he is considered tohave been the 22nd and the 24th
President of the United States.
Trump was the 45th President,and he will also become the 47th
U.S.
President when he isinaugurated in a few weeks.
Ironically, Clevelandrecaptured the White House in
(04:02):
1892 by campaigning for lowertariffs.
During 2024, Trump wonre-election while promising to
significantly increase tariffson most foreign goods.
Donald Trump will not only bethe second president to serve
non-consecutive terms, he willalso be the first ever president
(04:22):
who has faced an impeachmentvote and then was re-elected as
chief executive.
The first president ever toface impeachment was Andrew
Johnson, a VP who becamepresident in 1865 following the
assassination of AbrahamLincoln.
Johnson was a Democrat who hadbeen included on a victorious
unity ticket with Republicanincumbent President Lincoln in
(04:44):
1864.
During his administration,President Andrew Johnson clashed
with radical Republicans inCongress, who felt he was being
too soft on former Confederates,and in 1868 he was impeached
for violating something calledthe Tenure of Office Act.
Congress fell just short ofconvicting Johnson of high
crimes and misdemeanors, andthus removing him from office.
(05:07):
Still, when his term ended, theDemocratic Party declined to
renominate Andrew Johnson in1868, perhaps because he is
widely considered to be one ofthe least effective American
presidents ever.
After his presidency, Johnsonreturned to his home state of
Tennessee and unsuccessfully ranfor the Senate in 1870.
(05:28):
He then lost a race for a seatin the House of Representatives
in 1872.
Former President Andrew Johnsonfinally returned to elected
office in 1875, becoming a U.S.
Senator after winning a specialelection, but he died of a
stroke just a few months later.
In 1974, the U.S.
(05:48):
Congress threatened RepublicanPresident Richard M.
Nixon with impeachment,following the many troubling
revelations about his conduct inoffice that came to light
during investigations of theWatergate scandal.
Nixon chose to resign in April1974 to avoid being removed from
office.
And, spoiler alert, that waseffectively the end of his
(06:10):
political career.
Then Bill Clinton was impeachedin 1998, facing charges of
lying under oath and obstructionof justice related to the
Whitewater financialinvestigation and his admitted
affair with intern MonicaLewinsky.
However, after the House ofRepresentatives voted to
impeach, the Senate acquittedClinton and he remained in
(06:32):
office.
Clinton was already in hissecond presidential term when he
faced impeachment, so he wasineligible to run for president
again due to the 22nd Amendmentof the U.S.
Constitution.
Bill Clinton remained aninfluential figure in the
Democratic Party, but hispolitical career effectively
ended when he left office,although his wife Hillary's
(06:53):
career, of course, was justgetting started.
In December 2019, the House ofRepresentatives voted to impeach
President Donald Trump.
He was accused of improperconduct in office because he'd
threatened to withhold militaryaid from Ukraine unless that
country's president dug up dirtagainst his political rival Joe
(07:16):
Biden, who Trump viewed as hismost formidable potential
opponent in the November 2020presidential election.
In February of 2020, the U.S.
Senate acquitted Trump of theimpeachment charges.
Remarkably, Trump then faced asecond impeachment vote just a
year later.
This one occurred in theimmediate aftermath of an angry
(07:39):
mob attacking the United StatesCapitol building on January 6,
2021.
The insurrectionists sought toprevent the certification of
Democrat Joe Biden's victory inthe 2020 presidential election.
President Trump was charged byCongress with inciting the
insurrection because he hadclaimed the election had been
fraudulently stolen from him,and he had urged all of his
(08:02):
supporters to gather at theCapitol on January 6th in order
to pressure Congress members andVice President Pence into
challenging the ElectoralCollege results that showed
Biden as the winner.
The rioters' efforts to preventcongressional certification of
Biden's victory wereunsuccessful, but the Capitol
building was seriously damagedand hundreds of Capitol police
(08:24):
were severely injured.
On January 20, 2021, PresidentBiden was sworn into office.
On February 13th, the Senateacquitted Trump of the
impeachment charges, falling 10votes short of the two-thirds
threshold needed for aconviction that would have
barred Trump from running forfederal office again.
(08:46):
So, President Trump'sre-election victory in 2024
makes him by far the mostpolitically successful formerly
impeached president in Americanhistory.
Trump also won in spite ofvarious other legal challenges
since his 2020 departure fromthe White House.
In March 2023, a civil juryfound Trump liable for sexual
(09:09):
abuse and defamation ofjournalist E.
Jean Carroll.
In February 2024, another civilcourt held Trump liable for
business fraud.
Finally, in April 2024, acriminal jury found the former
president guilty of violatingfederal campaign finance laws.
All three of these guiltyverdicts occurred in Trump's
(09:32):
former home state of New York.
His defenders alleged theseconvictions were politically
motivated.
While he was running forpresident during 2024, Trump
also faced pending federalcharges for fomenting the
January 6th insurrection and formishandling classified
documents.
Despite all this legal baggage,the American electorate
(09:55):
apparently still found Trumppreferable to Democratic nominee
Kamala Harris in the 2024presidential race.
The circumstances surroundingHarris' nomination constituted
yet another historic event ofthe past year.
Incumbent President Joe Bidenchose to run for re-election.
He did not face seriouschallengers in the party
(10:17):
primary, and he had securedenough delegates to clinch the
Democratic nomination by June2024.
However, later that month, hehad a disastrous performance in
a debate against Trump, whichraised serious questions about
the elderly president's capacityto successfully campaign for
and complete a second term inoffice.
(10:39):
After the debate, PresidentBiden fell behind in the polls
and faced major pressure withinhis party to withdraw his
candidacy for re-election.
Biden did just that on July 21,2024, endorsing Harris, the
sitting vice president, for theDemocratic Party nomination.
Biden thus became the firstsitting president to withdraw
(11:02):
from a re-election bid sinceLyndon B.
Johnson, of no relation toAndrew Johnson, did so back in
March 1968.
In August 2024, the DemocraticParty Convention certified
Kamala Harris as its new nomineefor president.
Some analysts have argued thatthe limited amount of time
Harris had to campaign as thenominee played a key role in her
(11:24):
defeat, while other punditssuggest different factors were
decisive in the Democraticticket's failure to defeat
Trump.
Other historic events duringthe recent presidential race
include the two assassinationattempts against Donald Trump in
the months leading up to theelection.
In July 2024, an armed20-year-old man named Thomas
(11:46):
Matthew Crooks shot at Trumpduring a Pennsylvania campaign
rally.
Trump was bloodied, but he wasnot seriously injured.
One of Crooks' bullets fatallywounded another audience member.
The Secret Service spotted andkilled Crooks in the moments
after he fired toward the rallystage.
However, the agency facedserious criticism for not
(12:07):
preventing the assassinationattempt in the first place.
It appears that Crooks was alone wolf motivated by a desire
for notoriety, and that he didnot attempt the assassination
due to ideological anger towardTrump.
Of course, this did not stopconspiracy theorists from
claiming otherwise.
The July shooting was the mostserious assassination attempt
(12:28):
against a current or former U.S.
president since PresidentRonald Reagan was gravely
wounded by an assassin's bulletin March 1981.
In September 2024, Ryan WesleyRuth, a troubled 54-year-old
from North Carolina, was caughtat Trump's golf course in
Florida, aiming a rifle at thepresident's security detail.
(12:50):
He was apprehended before hewas able to fire at anyone, but
it appears that Ruth intended toassassinate Trump.
Unlike Crooks, Ruth appears tohave been motivated by political
opposition to the Republicancandidate.
Ruth also acted alone.
He seemed especially agitatedby Trump's pro-Russian views and
what they might mean forUkraine's war against the
(13:12):
Russian invasion forces thathave occupied part of that
country since early 2022.
Anyway, US politicians acrossthe political spectrum condemned
both of these assassinationattempts.
There was much speculation thatsympathy toward Trump following
these attempts on his lifewould decide the election.
But by election day, othercontroversies caused these plots
(13:37):
to fade a bit from publicmemory.
To date, it is unclear whetherthese attempts at political
violence played a major role inthe election outcome.
It is also uncertain what asecond Trump term will mean for
the United States and the restof the world.
Many powerful conservativessupporting Trump wrote a
document called Project 2025,outlining major changes to the
(13:59):
United States federalgovernment, including plans to
remove many federal employeesand replace them with people
loyal to Trump's politicalagenda.
Donald Trump distanced himselffrom Project 2025 after
Democrats and media pundits hadexpressed concern about some of
its radical policyrecommendations regarding social
(14:20):
issues.
Trump openly campaigned infavor of the mass deportation of
immigrants and stated he wouldraise tariffs on imported goods.
If fully executed, thesepolicies would have major
disruptive effects, not only forforeign residents, but also
upon the entire U.S.
economy.
Yet it remains to be seenwhether these plans will be
(14:42):
successfully implemented.
Under the Constitution, thenation's legislative bodies and
courts have the power to shapeand to limit the president's
plans.
However, it remains to be seenif they will choose to wield
that power, because both theSupreme Court and the U.S.
Congress are currentlycontrolled by conservatives
(15:02):
sympathetic to much of Trump'sagenda.
In the realm of foreign policy,Trump has promised to bring an
end to the Russia-Ukraineconflict.
His opponents are concernedthat his administration will
stop U.S.
arms shipments to Ukraine andwill bring about an armistice
that requires major Ukrainianterritorial concessions, which
(15:23):
could further embolden dictatorVladimir Putin.
Defenders argue that the firstmajor proxy conflict between the
USA and the Russians since theend of the Cold War has dragged
on for dangerously long, andthey say it needs to be resolved
or it could spiral into a widerwar involving NATO.
China policy is another majorquestion.
(15:44):
The Biden administrationgenerally took a harder line
toward the Chinese regime thanpast democratic presidents.
For instance, Biden promised todefend Taiwan from a potential
invasion by the People'sRepublic of China.
But Trump also has used aconsiderable amount of
anti-Chinese rhetoric, and heseems poised to foment a trade
(16:07):
war with China.
Then again, Trump's tendency toget along with Chinese allied
dictators in Russia and NorthKorea may indicate openness to
working with Xi Jinping insteadof taking a warlike approach.
Yet the most consequentialinternational developments of
2024 could be those surroundingthe continuing instability in
(16:29):
the Middle East.
the Islamist militant groupHamas came to power in the
Palestinian territory known asthe Gaza Strip.
There has been sporadicviolence between Israel and
Hamas in the decades that havefollowed.
In October 2023, Hamas fightersbreached the border of the Gaza
(16:51):
Strip and attacked Israel,killing around 1,200 people.
Over 800 of the victims wereIsraeli civilians, and dozens of
Israelis were also taken ashostages by Hamas.
The State of Israel respondedto this attack by waging a
devastating war against Hamas,with very little regard for
(17:11):
Gaza's civilian population.
At least 45,000 residents ofGaza have been killed, the
majority of them women andchildren.
The Israeli government and theHezbollah militant group also
spent months exchanging rocketfire.
In October 2024, Israel invadedsouthern Lebanon to attack
(17:32):
Hezbollah.
The government of Iran fundsHezbollah, and during this year
the Israelis and the Iraniansexchanged military strikes,
although we are yet to see afull-scale war between Israel
and Iran.
Given the U.S.
government's close backing ofIsrael and its hostile
relationship with Iran, such aconflict could provoke American
(17:54):
military involvement.
Most recently, the Syriandictator Bashar al-Assad was
ousted by various rebel factionsled by an Islamist group.
Many people in Syria celebratedthe downfall of Assad's brutal
regime, but the future of thatcountry is quite uncertain.
There is more turmoil now inMiddle Eastern politics than
(18:14):
there has been at any time sincethe Arab Spring rebellions of
the early 2010s.
President Joe Biden's backingof Israel's war on Gaza received
major criticism from ArabAmericans and progressive
groups.
President-elect Trump hasindicated he wants to see the
conflict come to an end, but healso has close political ties
(18:36):
with right-wing factions inIsrael.
One of Trump's largest donors,Miriam Adelson, has urged him to
help the Israeli government toannex the occupied West Bank,
which could effectively end anyhope for a Palestinian state.
The announcement that the Trumpadministration plans to
nominate former ArkansasGovernor Mike Huckabee, who is
(18:58):
an evangelical ChristianZionist, as its next ambassador
to Israel, does not bode wellfor those who hope for a more
even-handed US approach to theIsrael-Palestine conflict.
In May 2024, the InternationalCriminal Court, or ICC,
indicated it was seeking arrestwarrants for Israeli Prime
(19:19):
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,among other figures.
This did not stop leaders ofboth major American political
parties from inviting Netanyahuto give a speech to a joint
session of Congress in July2024.
The Biden administration hasexpressed concern about some
Israeli actions in the GazaStrip, such as the blocking of
(19:41):
humanitarian aid intended forGaza's suffering population.
However, the Americangovernment has continued to
provide US weapons andintelligence support to the
Israeli military throughout theentire duration of its
operations in Gaza.
In November 2024, the ICCofficially issued an arrest
(20:03):
warrant against Netanyahu, whofaces charges related to war
crimes and crimes againsthumanity.
For the record, Netanyahu andother top Israeli officials
dispute these charges and claimthey have tried to avoid
civilian casualties during theirwar to destroy the Hamas
organization.
Nevertheless, in December 2024,the nonprofit group Human
(20:27):
Rights Watch issued a reportconcluding that Israel's
government is committinggenocide through military
attacks and by intentionallydepriving the Palestinians in
Gaza of access to food, water,medical supplies, and basic
sanitation.
Amnesty International Anotherhighly regarded human rights
group has also recently used theterm genocide to describe
(20:51):
Israel's actions since October2023.
The Biden administration andthe upcoming Trump
administration will likely facecritical scrutiny from future
generations of historians to theextent that these presidents
can be shown to have aided andabetted their allies' serious
human rights violations.
Finally, it remains to be seenwhether the next presidential
(21:15):
administration can successfullyaddress domestic anger over a
cost-of-living crisis in theUnited States.
The recent inflation of grocerystore prices is only a
component of a longer-lasting,continued problem regarding the
difficulties 21st centuryAmericans have been experiencing
in terms of accessingaffordable housing, education,
(21:38):
and health care.
Recent online outpouring Thankyou for watching.
(21:58):
The president-elect's currentalliance with Elon Musk and
other powerful billionairesraises questions regarding the
next administration's ability tomeet the anti-establishment
(22:19):
moment.
If Donald Trump fails toaddress populist concerns
regarding economic issues andsocial policies, his government
may face widespread protests andother political backlash.
Given Trump's reported pastsupport of using the military
against protesters, such civilunrest could get very ugly.
(22:40):
On the other hand, if the Trumpadministration is able to
assuage public concerns aboutthe direction of the country,
the MAGA movement may be able toconsolidate its power and
continue as the dominantpolitical force in the country
through 2028 and beyond, withpotential baleful consequences
for Trump's dissenting criticsand ideological That's just how
(23:06):
I see the current nationalsituation as a historically
informed observer here at theend of 2024.
I know there's a lot more thatcould be said about the next
administration's implicationsfor abortion rights, race
relations, antitrust policy, taxrates, and other significant
(23:27):
issues.
But I did not want to engage inexcessive speculation during
this episode beyond spotlightinga few of the many major issues
facing the country in light ofrecent events.
This has just been an extra endof the year holiday bonus for
my listeners.
If you loved or hated thiscurrent events related episode,
(23:48):
or if you want to share a morenuanced reaction to it, please
by all means contact the podcastby sending an email to
boomer2millennial.com In January2025, we will finally return to
our regularly scheduledpodcasting and wrap up the story
of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
(24:08):
Until then, we wish you happyholidays, happy new year, and as
always, thank you forlistening.
From Boomers to Millennials is a modern U.S.
history podcast providing afresh look at 20th century
America.
Welcome to Episode 19B, the Endof 2024 Special.
As I discussed during myinterview with my co-producer
Erin during our last episode,released back in November, we
(00:22):
are striving to get the podcastback on track by putting out
episodes more frequently thanduring the last couple of years.
Unfortunately, the long-awaitedepisode 20 about 1962 will not
be ready until January 2025.
In the meantime, I reallywanted to check in with my
listeners and release some newscripted content before the end
(00:46):
of the year 2024.
For this reason, I've writtenup a few brief thoughts to share
with you about how we mightview the events of 2024 within
the broader scope of modern U.S.
history.
Because upon reflection, it'sbeen a quite historic and
dramatic year.
Let me preface my comments hereby saying that I respect the
(01:09):
fact that members of my audiencehave a diversity of views and
opinions about current events.
For that reason, I intend tofocus my analysis not through
the lens of my own personalbeliefs about how policies
should have been different orabout what I believe ought to
happen in the future in order toaddress various problems.
Instead, I want to focus on howfuture historians will likely
(01:33):
view the significance of theevents of the past year.
So, for a moment, let's try toset aside whatever emotional
baggage we may have about theexhausting year 2024 and just
put its often unprecedentedevents in a historical context.
The first proverbial elephantin the room that needs to be
(01:55):
addressed is is American voters'decision to elect Republican
candidate Donald J.
Trump to a second term in thisyear's presidential election.
Trump will become only thesecond president in U.S.
history to servenon-consecutive terms in office,
following a trail blazed byGrover Cleveland, who is not
(02:15):
exactly a household name in the21st century.
Cleveland was the Democraticgovernor of New York State when
he was first elected to theWhite House in the United States
presidential election of 1884.
At the end of his first term,incumbent President Cleveland
won the nation's popular voteagain during the election of
(02:36):
November 1888, but he wasnarrowly defeated by Republican
Benjamin Harrison in theElectoral College, so he was out
of the White House.
But Grover Cleveland thenexperienced a political comeback
in 1892, when he was once againnominated by the Democratic
Party and went on to defeatPresident Harrison in the
(02:57):
November election.
Cleveland only captured 46% ofthe overall 1892 popular vote, a
plurality rather than anoutright majority, but the
incumbent Harrison's share ofthe vote dropped to only 43%.
The Republican had won 48% backin 1888, and Harrison also fell
(03:18):
short in the Electoral Collegethis time.
The reason that neither majorparty candidate captured an
outright majority in 1892 isthat almost 9% of the nation's
votes, and the electoral votesof five states, went to a third
party candidate, James Weaver ofthe Populist Party.
Interesting movement, by theway, but we don't have time to
(03:39):
get into it.
So anyway, Grover Clevelandserved two non-consecutive
terms, and he is considered tohave been the 22nd and the 24th
President of the United States.
Trump was the 45th President,and he will also become the 47th
U.S.
President when he isinaugurated in a few weeks.
Ironically, Clevelandrecaptured the White House in
(04:02):
1892 by campaigning for lowertariffs.
During 2024, Trump wonre-election while promising to
significantly increase tariffson most foreign goods.
Donald Trump will not only bethe second president to serve
non-consecutive terms, he willalso be the first ever president
(04:22):
who has faced an impeachmentvote and then was re-elected as
chief executive.
The first president ever toface impeachment was Andrew
Johnson, a VP who becamepresident in 1865 following the
assassination of AbrahamLincoln.
Johnson was a Democrat who hadbeen included on a victorious
unity ticket with Republicanincumbent President Lincoln in
(04:44):
1864.
During his administration,President Andrew Johnson clashed
with radical Republicans inCongress, who felt he was being
too soft on former Confederates,and in 1868 he was impeached
for violating something calledthe Tenure of Office Act.
Congress fell just short ofconvicting Johnson of high
crimes and misdemeanors, andthus removing him from office.
(05:07):
Still, when his term ended, theDemocratic Party declined to
renominate Andrew Johnson in1868, perhaps because he is
widely considered to be one ofthe least effective American
presidents ever.
After his presidency, Johnsonreturned to his home state of
Tennessee and unsuccessfully ranfor the Senate in 1870.
(05:28):
He then lost a race for a seatin the House of Representatives
in 1872.
Former President Andrew Johnsonfinally returned to elected
office in 1875, becoming a U.S.
Senator after winning a specialelection, but he died of a
stroke just a few months later.
In 1974, the U.S.
(05:48):
Congress threatened RepublicanPresident Richard M.
Nixon with impeachment,following the many troubling
revelations about his conduct inoffice that came to light
during investigations of theWatergate scandal.
Nixon chose to resign in April1974 to avoid being removed from
office.
And, spoiler alert, that waseffectively the end of his
(06:10):
political career.
Then Bill Clinton was impeachedin 1998, facing charges of
lying under oath and obstructionof justice related to the
Whitewater financialinvestigation and his admitted
affair with intern MonicaLewinsky.
However, after the House ofRepresentatives voted to
impeach, the Senate acquittedClinton and he remained in
(06:32):
office.
Clinton was already in hissecond presidential term when he
faced impeachment, so he wasineligible to run for president
again due to the 22nd Amendmentof the U.S.
Constitution.
Bill Clinton remained aninfluential figure in the
Democratic Party, but hispolitical career effectively
ended when he left office,although his wife Hillary's
(06:53):
career, of course, was justgetting started.
In December 2019, the House ofRepresentatives voted to impeach
President Donald Trump.
He was accused of improperconduct in office because he'd
threatened to withhold militaryaid from Ukraine unless that
country's president dug up dirtagainst his political rival Joe
(07:16):
Biden, who Trump viewed as hismost formidable potential
opponent in the November 2020presidential election.
In February of 2020, the U.S.
Senate acquitted Trump of theimpeachment charges.
Remarkably, Trump then faced asecond impeachment vote just a
year later.
This one occurred in theimmediate aftermath of an angry
(07:39):
mob attacking the United StatesCapitol building on January 6,
2021.
The insurrectionists sought toprevent the certification of
Democrat Joe Biden's victory inthe 2020 presidential election.
President Trump was charged byCongress with inciting the
insurrection because he hadclaimed the election had been
fraudulently stolen from him,and he had urged all of his
(08:02):
supporters to gather at theCapitol on January 6th in order
to pressure Congress members andVice President Pence into
challenging the ElectoralCollege results that showed
Biden as the winner.
The rioters' efforts to preventcongressional certification of
Biden's victory wereunsuccessful, but the Capitol
building was seriously damagedand hundreds of Capitol police
(08:24):
were severely injured.
On January 20, 2021, PresidentBiden was sworn into office.
On February 13th, the Senateacquitted Trump of the
impeachment charges, falling 10votes short of the two-thirds
threshold needed for aconviction that would have
barred Trump from running forfederal office again.
(08:46):
So, President Trump'sre-election victory in 2024
makes him by far the mostpolitically successful formerly
impeached president in Americanhistory.
Trump also won in spite ofvarious other legal challenges
since his 2020 departure fromthe White House.
In March 2023, a civil juryfound Trump liable for sexual
(09:09):
abuse and defamation ofjournalist E.
Jean Carroll.
In February 2024, another civilcourt held Trump liable for
business fraud.
Finally, in April 2024, acriminal jury found the former
president guilty of violatingfederal campaign finance laws.
All three of these guiltyverdicts occurred in Trump's
(09:32):
former home state of New York.
His defenders alleged theseconvictions were politically
motivated.
While he was running forpresident during 2024, Trump
also faced pending federalcharges for fomenting the
January 6th insurrection and formishandling classified
documents.
Despite all this legal baggage,the American electorate
(09:55):
apparently still found Trumppreferable to Democratic nominee
Kamala Harris in the 2024presidential race.
The circumstances surroundingHarris' nomination constituted
yet another historic event ofthe past year.
Incumbent President Joe Bidenchose to run for re-election.
He did not face seriouschallengers in the party
(10:17):
primary, and he had securedenough delegates to clinch the
Democratic nomination by June2024.
However, later that month, hehad a disastrous performance in
a debate against Trump, whichraised serious questions about
the elderly president's capacityto successfully campaign for
and complete a second term inoffice.
(10:39):
After the debate, PresidentBiden fell behind in the polls
and faced major pressure withinhis party to withdraw his
candidacy for re-election.
Biden did just that on July 21,2024, endorsing Harris, the
sitting vice president, for theDemocratic Party nomination.
Biden thus became the firstsitting president to withdraw
(11:02):
from a re-election bid sinceLyndon B.
Johnson, of no relation toAndrew Johnson, did so back in
March 1968.
In August 2024, the DemocraticParty Convention certified
Kamala Harris as its new nomineefor president.
Some analysts have argued thatthe limited amount of time
Harris had to campaign as thenominee played a key role in her
(11:24):
defeat, while other punditssuggest different factors were
decisive in the Democraticticket's failure to defeat
Trump.
Other historic events duringthe recent presidential race
include the two assassinationattempts against Donald Trump in
the months leading up to theelection.
In July 2024, an armed20-year-old man named Thomas
(11:46):
Matthew Crooks shot at Trumpduring a Pennsylvania campaign
rally.
Trump was bloodied, but he wasnot seriously injured.
One of Crooks' bullets fatallywounded another audience member.
The Secret Service spotted andkilled Crooks in the moments
after he fired toward the rallystage.
However, the agency facedserious criticism for not
(12:07):
preventing the assassinationattempt in the first place.
It appears that Crooks was alone wolf motivated by a desire
for notoriety, and that he didnot attempt the assassination
due to ideological anger towardTrump.
Of course, this did not stopconspiracy theorists from
claiming otherwise.
The July shooting was the mostserious assassination attempt
(12:28):
against a current or former U.S.
president since PresidentRonald Reagan was gravely
wounded by an assassin's bulletin March 1981.
In September 2024, Ryan WesleyRuth, a troubled 54-year-old
from North Carolina, was caughtat Trump's golf course in
Florida, aiming a rifle at thepresident's security detail.
(12:50):
He was apprehended before hewas able to fire at anyone, but
it appears that Ruth intended toassassinate Trump.
Unlike Crooks, Ruth appears tohave been motivated by political
opposition to the Republicancandidate.
Ruth also acted alone.
He seemed especially agitatedby Trump's pro-Russian views and
what they might mean forUkraine's war against the
(13:12):
Russian invasion forces thathave occupied part of that
country since early 2022.
Anyway, US politicians acrossthe political spectrum condemned
both of these assassinationattempts.
There was much speculation thatsympathy toward Trump following
these attempts on his lifewould decide the election.
But by election day, othercontroversies caused these plots
(13:37):
to fade a bit from publicmemory.
To date, it is unclear whetherthese attempts at political
violence played a major role inthe election outcome.
It is also uncertain what asecond Trump term will mean for
the United States and the restof the world.
Many powerful conservativessupporting Trump wrote a
document called Project 2025,outlining major changes to the
(13:59):
United States federalgovernment, including plans to
remove many federal employeesand replace them with people
loyal to Trump's politicalagenda.
Donald Trump distanced himselffrom Project 2025 after
Democrats and media pundits hadexpressed concern about some of
its radical policyrecommendations regarding social
(14:20):
issues.
Trump openly campaigned infavor of the mass deportation of
immigrants and stated he wouldraise tariffs on imported goods.
If fully executed, thesepolicies would have major
disruptive effects, not only forforeign residents, but also
upon the entire U.S.
economy.
Yet it remains to be seenwhether these plans will be
(14:42):
successfully implemented.
Under the Constitution, thenation's legislative bodies and
courts have the power to shapeand to limit the president's
plans.
However, it remains to be seenif they will choose to wield
that power, because both theSupreme Court and the U.S.
Congress are currentlycontrolled by conservatives
(15:02):
sympathetic to much of Trump'sagenda.
In the realm of foreign policy,Trump has promised to bring an
end to the Russia-Ukraineconflict.
His opponents are concernedthat his administration will
stop U.S.
arms shipments to Ukraine andwill bring about an armistice
that requires major Ukrainianterritorial concessions, which
(15:23):
could further embolden dictatorVladimir Putin.
Defenders argue that the firstmajor proxy conflict between the
USA and the Russians since theend of the Cold War has dragged
on for dangerously long, andthey say it needs to be resolved
or it could spiral into a widerwar involving NATO.
China policy is another majorquestion.
(15:44):
The Biden administrationgenerally took a harder line
toward the Chinese regime thanpast democratic presidents.
For instance, Biden promised todefend Taiwan from a potential
invasion by the People'sRepublic of China.
But Trump also has used aconsiderable amount of
anti-Chinese rhetoric, and heseems poised to foment a trade
(16:07):
war with China.
Then again, Trump's tendency toget along with Chinese allied
dictators in Russia and NorthKorea may indicate openness to
working with Xi Jinping insteadof taking a warlike approach.
Yet the most consequentialinternational developments of
2024 could be those surroundingthe continuing instability in
(16:29):
the Middle East.
the Islamist militant groupHamas came to power in the
Palestinian territory known asthe Gaza Strip.
There has been sporadicviolence between Israel and
Hamas in the decades that havefollowed.
In October 2023, Hamas fightersbreached the border of the Gaza
(16:51):
Strip and attacked Israel,killing around 1,200 people.
Over 800 of the victims wereIsraeli civilians, and dozens of
Israelis were also taken ashostages by Hamas.
The State of Israel respondedto this attack by waging a
devastating war against Hamas,with very little regard for
(17:11):
Gaza's civilian population.
At least 45,000 residents ofGaza have been killed, the
majority of them women andchildren.
The Israeli government and theHezbollah militant group also
spent months exchanging rocketfire.
In October 2024, Israel invadedsouthern Lebanon to attack
(17:32):
Hezbollah.
The government of Iran fundsHezbollah, and during this year
the Israelis and the Iraniansexchanged military strikes,
although we are yet to see afull-scale war between Israel
and Iran.
Given the U.S.
government's close backing ofIsrael and its hostile
relationship with Iran, such aconflict could provoke American
(17:54):
military involvement.
Most recently, the Syriandictator Bashar al-Assad was
ousted by various rebel factionsled by an Islamist group.
Many people in Syria celebratedthe downfall of Assad's brutal
regime, but the future of thatcountry is quite uncertain.
There is more turmoil now inMiddle Eastern politics than
(18:14):
there has been at any time sincethe Arab Spring rebellions of
the early 2010s.
President Joe Biden's backingof Israel's war on Gaza received
major criticism from ArabAmericans and progressive
groups.
President-elect Trump hasindicated he wants to see the
conflict come to an end, but healso has close political ties
(18:36):
with right-wing factions inIsrael.
One of Trump's largest donors,Miriam Adelson, has urged him to
help the Israeli government toannex the occupied West Bank,
which could effectively end anyhope for a Palestinian state.
The announcement that the Trumpadministration plans to
nominate former ArkansasGovernor Mike Huckabee, who is
(18:58):
an evangelical ChristianZionist, as its next ambassador
to Israel, does not bode wellfor those who hope for a more
even-handed US approach to theIsrael-Palestine conflict.
In May 2024, the InternationalCriminal Court, or ICC,
indicated it was seeking arrestwarrants for Israeli Prime
(19:19):
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,among other figures.
This did not stop leaders ofboth major American political
parties from inviting Netanyahuto give a speech to a joint
session of Congress in July2024.
The Biden administration hasexpressed concern about some
Israeli actions in the GazaStrip, such as the blocking of
(19:41):
humanitarian aid intended forGaza's suffering population.
However, the Americangovernment has continued to
provide US weapons andintelligence support to the
Israeli military throughout theentire duration of its
operations in Gaza.
In November 2024, the ICCofficially issued an arrest
(20:03):
warrant against Netanyahu, whofaces charges related to war
crimes and crimes againsthumanity.
For the record, Netanyahu andother top Israeli officials
dispute these charges and claimthey have tried to avoid
civilian casualties during theirwar to destroy the Hamas
organization.
Nevertheless, in December 2024,the nonprofit group Human
(20:27):
Rights Watch issued a reportconcluding that Israel's
government is committinggenocide through military
attacks and by intentionallydepriving the Palestinians in
Gaza of access to food, water,medical supplies, and basic
sanitation.
Amnesty International Anotherhighly regarded human rights
group has also recently used theterm genocide to describe
(20:51):
Israel's actions since October2023.
The Biden administration andthe upcoming Trump
administration will likely facecritical scrutiny from future
generations of historians to theextent that these presidents
can be shown to have aided andabetted their allies' serious
human rights violations.
Finally, it remains to be seenwhether the next presidential
(21:15):
administration can successfullyaddress domestic anger over a
cost-of-living crisis in theUnited States.
The recent inflation of grocerystore prices is only a
component of a longer-lasting,continued problem regarding the
difficulties 21st centuryAmericans have been experiencing
in terms of accessingaffordable housing, education,
(21:38):
and health care.
Recent online outpouring Thankyou for watching.
(21:58):
The president-elect's currentalliance with Elon Musk and
other powerful billionairesraises questions regarding the
next administration's ability tomeet the anti-establishment
(22:19):
moment.
If Donald Trump fails toaddress populist concerns
regarding economic issues andsocial policies, his government
may face widespread protests andother political backlash.
Given Trump's reported pastsupport of using the military
against protesters, such civilunrest could get very ugly.
(22:40):
On the other hand, if the Trumpadministration is able to
assuage public concerns aboutthe direction of the country,
the MAGA movement may be able toconsolidate its power and
continue as the dominantpolitical force in the country
through 2028 and beyond, withpotential baleful consequences
for Trump's dissenting criticsand ideological That's just how
(23:06):
I see the current nationalsituation as a historically
informed observer here at theend of 2024.
I know there's a lot more thatcould be said about the next
administration's implicationsfor abortion rights, race
relations, antitrust policy, taxrates, and other significant
(23:27):
issues.
But I did not want to engage inexcessive speculation during
this episode beyond spotlightinga few of the many major issues
facing the country in light ofrecent events.
This has just been an extra endof the year holiday bonus for
my listeners.
If you loved or hated thiscurrent events related episode,
(23:48):
or if you want to share a morenuanced reaction to it, please
by all means contact the podcastby sending an email to
boomer2millennial.com In January2025, we will finally return to
our regularly scheduledpodcasting and wrap up the story
of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
(24:08):
Until then, we wish you happyholidays, happy new year, and as
always, thank you forlistening.
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