harry truman's lesson number three, live to our values. truman knew that the fight for freedom was not restricted to distant lands. one of his shining moments as president was his commitment to challenging civil rights, including in our military. so it was earlier stated on january 26, 1948, president truman executive order 9981, which made segregation in our military illegal. truman understood importance of living up to our fan founding values that are all created equal. and that is especially when americans are fighting together in foxholes. lesson number four by harry truman is on his statue. the buck stops here. i hope as the policymakers walk through and they admire this statue, they read all the way down to the. that was a sign that truman famously kept on his desk. it was his motto, his code, his philosophy of leadership in his farewell address, truman said the president, whoever he is, has to decide. he can't the buck to anybody, no one else can do the deciding for him. that's his job. that's sound advice. not just to a president, b

harry truman has supported roosevelt's so-called court packing plan. that was the end of the day litmus test. roosevelt said, we'll, if everyone can get along with senator truman, he can be on the ticket. he did not oppose the judicial reform plan. truman became president so suddenly. he uses this first nomination is a chance to seek some political unity. not just in washington, but in america as a whole. americans were than allowed to openly say that there should be republican or democratic nominee. >> one of the things that i really like about the book is that the truman court story is great. there's also these little bits of history that are dropped in. sometimes relevant, sometimes they're sidebars. look at how much has changed, how much has not changed. one of the things it comes to mind with burton was that you are writing a book. truman and burton shared a belief that the government had threats. that was even at the expense of individual liberties. was that a common thing at the time? a democrat and republican agreed on something that profound. >

so the very successful nomination for harry truman. truman and harold burton they're friendly not the way his later nominees were friends print this was a political masterpiece by the president who is viewed by millions of americans who was the senator from missouri, and other senators refuse some other centers refused to recognize him as a senator. even some senior staffer said he sent over here bite gangsters. and then he was elected in his own right and strongly reelected to be the senator from missouri. and chosen by the first, second and possibly even his third choice. but harry truman had supported he had supported roosevelt's court packing plan. that was famous. everyone can get along with senator truman, he can be on the ticket because he did not oppose my judicial reforms. in truman becomes a president suddenly. uses this first nomination as a chance to seek some political unity. not just in washington but america as a whole. because americans then were led to openly say there should be a republican or democrat nominee to the c

it was about harry truman's great road trip driving the new yorker, his brand-new new yorker, getting a speeding ticket on the pennsylvania turnpike and driving himself and mrs. truman out there. so i think matt is the ought your of that. i hope he was. guest: and i write about it in "second acts" as well. they take a trip in their automobile from independence to new york, where their daughter, margaret, was living with her husband and their grandchildren. and they have no idea the kind of attention that they're going to stir by embarking on this road trip. as you pointed out, they didn't need service protection, so they would go to a diner and people would rapidly call those throughout the community and say, hey, come to the diner, trumans are here. they couldn't believe the former president and first lady would be in some random diner in the wilds of pennsylvania. but there they were. host: a few years back, c-span put on a wonderful series on the first ladies. it's on our website. every single first lady up through, i believe, michelle obama is when we were doing the series. it was

i wanted to ask you there are many many books on harry truman. yeah many no david mcculloch's especially what brought you to this book why truman now, and how does this book differ from? previous books on harry truman. well at dana mccullo's book was a biography of true and this is a biography of a presidency. so in that sense, it's a more limited more limited book even though i do have a long prologue which brings him brings him brings him to the to the farm to world war one to the pendergast machine and so on but it's but and i think it's it's also i realized more and more as i thought about it. well two things one that i had finished this on eisenhower and nixon. i thought that and i was already and i found truman kept. showing up he was so in a sense truman was a natural prequel to the to the icon -- and also the i just thought everything our entire world came from that period and it was and i didn't realize it until i started getting into it. it was seven years this i i had cold feet more than once. this was just everything once. this is when

this was a mistake, harry truman. and then dewey, the only one he signed, it said, it sure was! homas dewey. but truman did sign, he was in missouri when he got one of these papers. he signed it. the photograph came from a newspaper itself. he signed many of these. really briefly, how come dewey didn't defeat truman? >> because truman got more votes. [laughs] >> okay, that's easy enough. >> really, was it wasn't even close! that was the interesting thing about it. it wasn't even close. truman won -- he lost in congress in 46. terrible, terrible defeat, a vote of no confidence, almost. in 1948 he got the senate and the house back, along with winning the presidency. it was a great victory for him. that paper is really, that's a beautiful copy you have. the copy of the truman library is more beat up nowadays. and there are very, very few of them. as you said they were just sent out to the suburbs. the very early additions, you're right. >> you know, there are going to be fewer as time goes on. the paper, newspapers are acidic. the pulp paper. >> i know. >> they are just going to con

he went to president harry truman.ld president harry truman that he needed to fire the new prosecutor to. just like the old prosecutor had been fired. and president harry truman caved to that demand from senator burton wheeler. he did it. he fired the second prosecutor in the sedition case. truman also buried the results of the investigation. the justice department had reportedly planned to make public the finding of its investigation about the sedition defendants working with the hitler government. and this naji agents work in congress. and what the knots own false just said about which americans they were working with him to do what. the justice department plant to do a public official report on those findings. harry truman ordered that investigation kept secret. he buried. for 15 years it was buried. is an amazing story. it is a story you might want to listen to on your thanksgiving travels. [laughs] but now as the sedition trial of january 6th, paramilitary attackers continues. -- -- and the january 6th effort to o

and president harry truman caved to that demand from senator wheeler. he did it. the second prosecutor. truman also buried the results of the investigation. the justice department had reportedly planned to make public the finding of its investigation about the sedition defendants working with the hitler government and this nazi agent's work in congress and what the nazis' own files said. the justice department planned to do a public official report on those findings. harry truman instead ordered that investigation kept secret. he buried it. for 15 years it was buried. it's an amazing story. it's a story you might want to listen to on your thanksgiving. now the sedition trial of the january 6th paramilitary attackers continues. the jury is getting that case tomorrow morning. as individual participants in the attack on the government are continuing to be convicted in federal court even today. as a second special counsel is appointed to investigate among other things the former president's alleged involvement in the january 6th effort to overthrow the government. one

nuclear age took place, when franklin roosevelt's -- shocked the nation and abruptly transformed harry trumanfrom a relatively unknown and brand-new vice president to a wartime prospect. truman was on capitol hill when house speaker, sam right near, told him that the presidents press secretary, steve early, had telephoned that the vice president was wanted in the white house. truman ran through the capitol basement back to his office to get his hat, then with a driver, fought his way through rush hour traffic to the white house without any secret service protection, as garrett just pointed out. when he arrived in the -- white house, first lady, eleanor roosevelt, informed him that the president was dead. within two hours and 24 minutes, of fdr's death, truman was sworn in and shortly thereafter, -- informed of the bomb. the nations leader gathered in the cabinet of the white house, including secretary of the state, edward -- the next in line of succession, speaker of the house, sam rayburn, and house majority leader, john mccormack. in a show of support to keep the gears grinding on the wheel

no one knew where the president was nor when he might reappear as late as 1945 when harry truman took office the vice president didn't actually even receive secret service protection and went about his day on his own around washington checking in from time to time whether anyone needed him. within a few short years though as soviet missiles reduced monumental decisions to only 15 minute windows such prolonged periods with the president in communicato or the vice president's whereabouts unknown would be history. the need to command such powerful weapons on a hair trigger alert pushed the office of the president into a new era of technology new procedures built around a commander in chief who required instant reliable communications powerful new transportation and detailed instructions that ensure that there would never be a leadership vacuum. a different way of thinking about so many of the presidential toys that we think of the majesty of air force one the gleaming marine helicopters, the hulking armored limousines and the expansive motorcades is to think of them. as communications to

what we need is not just people who can blow -- harry truman said any jack you know what can kick down a bar. it takes a real carpenter to be able to build one. right now we've got a lot of you know what's kicking down barns and very few building them. >> you've got too many people on both sides who hate the people on the other side. i just don't understand why there's that much hatred. [inaudible] >> it's like president clinton, one time i had a beating with bill warlick and jeff's tewksbury who were two fyre festival knoxville at and a , i said in an hour i'm going to lunch with president clinton in the rayburn room. i said come on a new bill warlick, he was a knox county democratic chairman but he was a good friend of mine. i said i might be able to addition to the president if you'll meet here at the subway and i'll take you up there, we will stand right outside the room. and i go up there and we're standing here and all, we hear all this, all the reporters and photographers, and then we hear bagpipes and you comes the prime minister of ireland and president clinton here and so i s

but for the most part, of course the cold war emerges and and you know initially harry truman and then like i was an hour, but particularly truman makes the policy decision that we that that united states government needs a viable democratic or economically viable and democratic west germany as a board against an encroaching soviet union and all the aspirations and ambitions that they had for the reform of german society and and andy that's a vacation a little quickly goes out to window and their aimed the overarching aim becomes the buildup of of west german and society as a democratic and a capitalist state. yeah. and yeah, so, um, some people are asking, you know, you really focus on kind of heavy industry. i would say in in the book, but you know, you clearly could have talked about, you know, some people with someone raised the question of like the entertainment business, um, you know, and i and that there were kind of similar stories going on in all different aspects of you know, all different areas of the german economy. good. is that true? would you say or well this i mean i pi

i only know that i knew there was an assassination attempt on harry truman. leslie goes out a history now's the one and only right? and you just mentioned the mission of the service as an expanded to do things like protect the vice president. the idea that was not part of the charge for the very beginning is extraordinary. can you imagine kamala harris in this country at this moment without a protected detail? >> know i cannot. i cannot. it took the assassination of robert kennedy, he was campaigning and looking like he was headed to become president for lyndon b johnson to announce overnight. that was a really chilling moment. literally in the middle of the night called the director the secret service and said i want details on every single candidate right now. so candidates got protection >> family members as you said pray the protection of the services been expanded to so many people. karol i did not know to read this book that arthur bremmer who shot george wallace actually wanted to kill richard nixon first. and was thwarted. >> that is actually good sto

. >> harry truman. >> brian: fdr. >> steve: harry truman. >> ainsley: i will go with hoover. >> ainsley: brian was right fdr. which u.s. president handed down the first official turkey pardon was it bill clinton, george h.w. bush, george w. bush or richard nixon? >> steve: nixon. >> brian: i would say nixon. >> ainsley: all right i have goal with them. >> it is george h.w. bush. finally which holiday classic song was originally met for thanksgiving i thought this was very interesting. silent night. beginning to look a lot like christmas, let it snow or jingle bells, what do you think? >> ainsley: jingle bells. >> steve: i'm going to start with it's beginning to look like christmas. >> brian: which. >> ainsley: steve has to be right. >> carley: go with your instinct. >> ainsley: it's jingle bells. >> carley: you are right it is jingle bells. >> brian: get this on fox digital. >> carley: i like being the one to give the answers because i look right. i actually knew the turkey pardon one. >> brian: we thought alex trebek knew everything. >> carley: teleprompters are the best. happy thanksg

now, 75 - the library in the case on which are captain and so the battle of the day with captain harry truman, an award-winning author of the social independence handed the hairy truman and also the books the military and associate subjects. in addition, from the american national of international publications in the agencies, he served it on demand and general. [inaudible]. and as military ideal and in the military studies honor. and another words, there was no one better to take us through this today. >> thank you so much, and the battlefields of world war one. >> thank you. you are looking there on the right and one of the few studio shots have truman it during that timeframe and you know, most of the time he ends up looking pretty goofy with the glasses and he has is helmet and this is a good studio shot and interestingly enough, if you notice on the scholarly has the mystery, when he was in the missouri area and here, he is a lieutenant and is not actually been a mustard it into federal service at that particular time and at this time. and also if you look down at the bottom of the card

bill was a success harry truman in 1946 put together a blue-ribbon commission, the truman commission, that looked at a higher education and that commission recommended a year later that community college should be free for all americans, and here it is in 2022 and we are still debating whether community college should be free, president biden and his wife is a community college professor. joe manchin, the senator from west virginia, which is a state where people could incredibly benefit from a free community college system blocked that proposal in 2021. and absolutely, to give people an option of free or low-cost those first two years, and for many students it could be a stepping stone and they can complete their degree at a four year college. and also community services are plugged into the needs of the community in terms of what are the job needs in a local community, the local industries and what do they need. so absolutely, and i would agree. it frustrates me that it is not a bigger part of the conversation. >> matthew, portland, oregon, please go ahead with your question or comme

bill was a success, harry truman in 1946 put together a blue ribbon commission that looked at higherducation and recommended a year later in 47 at community college to be free for all americans and here it is in 2022 and we are still debating whether it should be free. he proposed free community college. joe manchin who is a senator from west virginia where peoplet could incredibly benefit from the free community college system and block that proposal. absolutely to give people an option of free and low-cost the first two years and for many it could be a steppingstone and they could go to a four-year college and also community services are plugged into the needs of the community in terms of what are the job needs of the communities. and i agree it frustrates me that it's not a bigger part of the conversation. it reallyno should be. >> matthew in portland oregon please go ahead with your questionon or comment. >> hello. i am enjoying the conversation. i'm college-educated and in debt. i'd like to ask about your thoughts. i studied this in school about outhe effect of u.s. world and ne

bill harry truman in 1946 put together a blue ribbon commission that looked at higher education and they recommended a year later in 47 community college should be free for all americans and here it is in 2022, and they're still debating whether unity colleges should be free. president biden and his wife is a community college professor and the proposed community college, joe mansion who was a senator from west virginia which is a state where people can just incredibly benefit from a community college system block that proposal. in 2021 so you know, and absolutely if you give people an option of free or low-cost , those first two years and then for many students it could be a steppingstone and they can still go get a degree to four-year college and also community services, plugged in to the community. in terms of what are the jobs from the local community, what are the local industries, what do they need so absolutely and i agree with you on that it's frustrating it's not a bigger part of the conversation. >> matthew, portland oregon please go ahead with your question or comments for wil

the president was harry truman. interesting louis, churchill did not come over to the united states for fdr's funeral. there have been a lot of questions about why he did not do so. he certainly regretted it because it would have been an opportunity for him to me to the new american president and possibly to clear up a number of misunderstandings. when the war in japan ended in september, truman suddenly cut off all the -- to the british which was devastating to them. they were not prepared for it. you've also been an opportunity for truman and churchill to talk about the atomic bomb. during the war, early in the war, the british were actually ahead of the americans in the theoretical parts of building the bomb and it was decided that they would currently work on the bomb, but churchill initially rejected this option when the british friendly to get back into the project, the manhattan project, the americans were now the not dominating force in that program. so the british very much had to take a back seat and churc

we need to make the alter records non existent harry truman who, that the lines need the red army in the far east, where the one and a half 1000000 strong quinton army is waiting for us. and britain had a hard time retaking several islands from japan and would welcome some help with the japanese read it the most was the idea that the soviet, by coming to the pacific war, truly understood this solid assures that the russians are coming in on schedule true in rights it is diary test dahlin will be the jap war by august 15th fin. the japs with that occurs news, the invincible cleansing army was able to hold out for just 20 days for the red armies outstanding, manchurian operation ended in complete victory. ah, but even those of new military reasons for it, it'll show like a saki bombed who the bomb was not actually dropped on japan. it was dropped down the soviet union as a warning of what's going to have to soviets if they interfered with americans post war plan. ah, a glad they should. cloth it. what is the best i me to wonder about them. this is on the vocal with what i see school fo

we need to make the alter records non existent, harry truman who. but the lines need the red army in the far east, where the one and a half 1000000 strong quinton army is waiting. the us and britain had a hard time retaking several islands from japan and would welcome some help with a japanese read the most was the idea that the soviets by pub, in the civil war, truly understood this solid assures that the russians are coming in on schedule true in rights it is. diary test dollar will be the jap poor by august. 15th finney . japs with that occurs. ah, the invincible cleanser nami was able to hold out for just 20 days. ah, the red armies outstanding, manchurian operation ended in complete victory. ah! but even those of a new military reasons for it to russia, that's not a saki with bond who the bomb was not actually dropped on japan. it was dropped on the soviet union as a warning of what's going to have the soviets, if they interfered with americans post war plan. with don't think that the united states or the united kingdom had the slightest intere

the practice started with harry truman.rator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... narrator: financial services firm, raymond james. man: bdo. accountants and advisors. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. and by contributions to this pbs station from viewers like you. thk you. ♪ ♪ narrator: you're watching pbs. ♪ ♪ judy: good evening. i'm judy woodruff. gun violence in america. prosecutors pursue hate crime charges in the shooting that left five dead and dozens wounded added lgbtq nightclub in colorado. smile yet in crisis. millions lack adequate food as of famine propelled by conflict and climate change looms over east africa. >> some people know the meaning of famine or thirst. for me, i know the real meaning of the word. judy: and health risks. a legal battle ensues after a recent study said just thein

worst border crisis in american history, we have joe biden, the most unpopular president since harry trumane was no red wave. this is a serious verdict of the republican party responsible for the failures found immediately donald trump did not hide. which makes a big bet on this election. he actively traveled around the country, supporting his candidates, however, the most key races. they were lost, like the senatorial seat from pennsylvania, where the democrat won. and that could cost republicans a majority. in the upper house of congress, the bad results of the trumpists do not bode well for their favorite either. even his recent supporters. they say everything passed without a doubt donald trump is now in the rear view of the couple moving on. it's time to look for a new high-quality presidential candidates. trump's candidates were only able to win at the faucet of the conservative states, where the democrats are not supported anyway. where it's stuck. the struggle of the trumpists failed, but donald trump himself does not see his guilt in failing the republicans at close range. i think

he found a very changed world when he came to washington to meet with harry truman and had several proposals put for to put in front of the american president instead of addressing them immediately. truman said that's very interesting mr. prime minister would be glad to look at them in other words. this was not the relationship that he had had with franklin roosevelt in 19401 to 1945. not because of truman but because the world had changed britain was no longer the power had been at the start of the second world war and this became in ever more increasingly evidence as when he met truman successor dwight eisenhower when he became president in 1953. churchill continuous prime minister until 1955 the night before he resigned the new queen queen elizabeth came to but came to downing street for a banquet with churchill and his wife clementine. anthony eden succeeded him sadly for eden. he probably assumed office too late. and was filled by the sue was crisis which unfortunately falls be out outside the realms of this talk churchill continued as a member of parliament until 1964. although he was

she would say my name is harry truman. but i persisted. so we got together and i experienced this great adventure of 1968, an election that really moved the united states beyond. it was an election year dominated by the vietnam war. the candidate i was with throughout was richard nixon who is campaigning on a promise to end the war in vietnam and when the peace. suggesting the natural connection between victory and war and victory and peace were being rearranged as the united states moves to a post world war era which begins at a final point in the nixon presidency. one of the things i learned throughout that campaign, a lesson about presidential leadership is something that i applied and studying about my grandfather. that is the fact that the presidency is a mission oriented job. the mission of the 1968 campaign was coming to grips with the vietnam problem. they explain most things about the nixon presidency. the dynamics of the watergate resignation in many ways. but the thing that made things work was the ability of people to relate pa