the truman foundation was president truman's idea. toward the end of his life, he told his admirers he did not want a brick-and-mortar monument, he encouraged a living memorial, an institution that would support new americans from every single territory that value service to their communities and this country as much as he did. that is what the truman foundation has been doing for 40 years now. we have selected more than 3000 public service leaders in the community in which they can be helped and make an even bigger difference in the life of this country. 40 years into our work we have a wonderful track record, and so this afternoon we pause to take stock and to celebrate. i want to thank secretary of state john kerry and everyone here at the state department for hosting us this afternoon, and i want to extend special thanks to the dalton briscoe center of american history at the university of texas, alston for sponsoring this event with support from the bernard foundation. we could not have found a more perfect sponsor in the real pa

bess truman's letters to harry truman. as of last month, clifton is the board secretary for the harry s truman scholarship foundation. this is a role that has been vacant since the 1990's since his mother retired from our board. clifton thank you for joining , our board and thank you for being here today. [applause] mr. truman: thank you, ladies and gentlemen. i am honored to be here. i am honored to serve on the board. i have to tell you a little bit stunned. . was 19 years old i was with my mother in independence when the first truman scholarships were awarded in 1977. i was in college and i was involved being in that group. as my mother told me i should be. [laughter] clifton,he put it was all these young people are doing a lot better in college then you are. [laughter] -- it isare interesting some of the things of the panel has been talking about. this is a great way to spend the afternoon. a couple of things we've been talking about is my grandfather's leadership style, things i learned and i found out when i was very

they picked truman. and if you really thought roosevelt was going to die, as it has roosevelt became president, you would give him responsibilities, but nobody did that. and i went to the truman library, he said from roosevelt to truman, don't bother me. work through the chief of staff. i don't want to bother you. if you really thought roosevelt had weeks or months to live, that is not what you would have done. mentioned bolin, love and tannin and the conflicting analyses a were revealing to truman -- they were revealing to truman. i wondered if you could pick one of the three you would agree with. michael neiberg: i think canon said, world war ii has brought all of the war stats including paranoia, suspicion of everybody -- >> could you link that to stalin's position? michael neiberg: what he is telling truman, there are things you are going to talk about at potsdam most importantly poland that are existential for the russians. and tangential for you at best. if you go in and say, the border of poland i

truman didn't agree. truman's principle russian advisor george cannon did not agree. there were those like james burns from south carolina who argued that the problem was the old financial arrangements that they used after the paris peace conference, the setting up of the plan. the problem in the post world war was that the united states was paying the german who is were in turn supposed to pay the french creating a cycle of debts and payments that in burns' mind and in herbert hoover's mind created the great depression. that's the problem you had to avoid. third, there were people who said, look, if we redraw the borders of europe as almost everybody agreed to, do aren't you just creating new disputes that will see future conflict after the war? potsdam remember was a peace conference not a wartime strategy conference and that makes the mood quite different. now, i told you it was the fourth analogy that was the important one. and you're not going to be surprised which you're going to see on the next slide. everybody came to potsdam, almost everybody noting that the

truman and his cabinet have an emergency session. the former secretaries on hand as they break the momentous news of japan's surrender. >> i have received this afternoon a message from the and reply tornment the message forward to that government by the secretary of state. i deemed this reply a full acceptance of the potsdam declaration which specifies the unconditional surrender of japan . in the reply, there is no altercation. arrangements are now being made for the formal signing of the surrender terms at the earliest possible moment. general douglas macarthur has been appointed to supreme allied commander to receive the japanese surrender. great britain, russia, and china will be represented by high-ranking officers. meantime, the allied armed forces have in order to suspend offensive actions. day mustamation of vj await upon the formal signing of the surrender terms by japan. they rush the presidents report to a waking world. august 14, the faithful news is flash. world,ng nation and wrongs of happy people celebrating the end of

truman, after taking oath as president, led his country finally to victory and peace.is covenant in an emergency session. the president breaks the momentous news of japan's surrender. >> i have received this afternoon a message from the japanese government in reply to forwarded to that government by the secretary of state on august 11. text this reply eight full -- full acceptance of the potts declaration which specifies the end this now surrender of japan. is no replies are qualification. arrangements are now being made or the formal signing of the surrender terms at the earliest possible moment. general douglas macarthur has been appointed the supreme allied commander to receive the japanese surrender. great britain, russia, and china will be represented by high-ranking officers. meantime, the allied armed forces have been ordered to suspend offensive action. the front room action of vj day -- the front automation of vj day must wait toward the formal signing of the full terms by japan. narrator: the president's report was rushed to a waiting world. tuesday, august 1

and truman had to do it for him. harry truman, perhaps not the best formally educated person in the nation, was a very smart man. he knew that he would be the president himself. the next thing i want to explore is the idea that television is going to change things. that once television gains a critical foothold in american life, that you will not see the sort of chicanery we were talking about, because it is impossible. i'm sad to say that that too is just a myth. i have a great case study for you, dwight d. eisenhower. in 1955, as you know, eisenhower has a massive heart attack. the people around eisenhower bring in the most eminent american cardiologist of the day, a bostonian. paul dudley white examines eisenhower, tells people in the white house, we would be lucky if he lives long enough for a first term. there was no question that in his mind, that if eisenhower lived enough to survive, he would have to live a quiet life. the problem was, eisenhower liked being president. [laughter] mrs. eisenhower liked being f

howart thoughts on truman? >> the only thing i have to add fouris, i did receive bronze clusters and two years president,e french , and ilegion of honor just receiving the medal by the french government put a highlight to my life. thank you. mike: mr. howerton? >> what i would like to say fewt this is i too saw very if any black soldiers. for me, the cultural and we had otherwise was great. anything inay response to the question about how can you advise people going to the military today, it would be that a couple of things. first of all, they are going to be exposed. thank god. even with a volunteer army. is the factor about that military will give a young person a family. a second family. i think we will all agree to that. i think those of us in combat , and in my case those of us in company k with such heavy casualties our own minds that we may not ever come back. are family. we might never get back to our families. i think that kind of bonding still exists. i think it does. i don't know for sure, but it thi

truman needs to read his history. america and what america should be all about. >> your thoughts on president truman as well? >> only thing i have to add to this, i did receive for clusters. a french president, the french -- i think just by theng the medal french government put a highlight to my life. >> what i would like to say i too saw very few if any black soldiers. the cultural mix we had was great. how can you -- it will be a couple of things. first of all they are going to be exposed. .hink god -- thank god to all americans the military. even with the volunteer army. is the factor about that military will give a young person a family, a second family. i think we would all agree to that. us in combatf there are suchse heavy casualties, we knew in our own minds that we may not have ever come back. these people were our family. we may never give back -- may never get back our families. that kind of bond still exists. i think it does in monitored military units. monitored -- in modern military units. i know for a f

. >> if harry truman was here today, what would you say to him? it's >> i would like to answer that. [laughter] >> he is on a roll. >> harry truman made one of the most important decisions in the history of our country. they dropped a bomb on hiroshima on the sixth of august, the death toll was anywhere from 120,000 to 170,000. that did not convince the japanese to surrender unconditionally. on the ninth of august, the president authorized dropping the second atomic bomb on nagasaki. the death toll there was half of what they said it was. around 70,000. there are people even today to -- who say that those atomic bombs saved lives, saved the lives, because we had planned to invade japan in november 1945 and in the spring of 46 we were going to tokyo. it was estimated that invasion would cost 150,000 american lives. and it would cost 10 million japanese lives. on that basis, people are saying the atomic weapons killed 240,000 people. but if we invade japan we would kill 10 million japanese. i believe president truman, authorizing the use of the atom

they seem to be simply retreads of the programs of the truman administration which preceded it. and i would suggest that during the course of the evening he might indicate those areas in which his programs are new, where they will mean more progress than we had then. what kind of programs are we for? we are for programs that will expand educational opportunities, that will give to all americans their equal chance for education, for all of the things which are necessary and dear to the hearts of our people. we are for programs, in addition, which will see that our medical care for the aged is much better handled than it is at the present time. here again, may i indicate that senator kennedy and i are not in disagreement as to the aims. we both want to help the old people. we want to see that they do have adequate medical care. the question is the means. i think that the means that i advocate will reach that goal better than the means he advocates. examples, buttter for whatever it is, whether it is the field of housing, health, medical care or schools or the development of electr

in the book, but the thing about truman is when franklin z radiosvelte died d roosevelt died, trumane a clerk. didn't have any access, didn't get any briefings, actually talked to roosevelt, i think, twice. and roosevelt dies in georgia with his mistress in the room, okay? kennedy: how you doing. >> >> they have to get her out fast, all right? and then all of a sudden eleanor roosevelt's the one who delivers the message to harry truman, they summon him to the white house. hey, you're the president. whereupon truman turns to eleanor and say, is there anything i can do for you, and eleanor looks him in the eye and goes, no. is there anything i can do for you? you're the one in trouble now. harris: wow. >> so chaotic. harris: so general david petraeus with his message on the back of the book, i'm curious to the know how people in the military field have responded to this book and what kind of feedback you've been getting. >> we don't know yet about the military because the book's out for two days, but i only sent it to one person, and and that was petraeus. i know he's a military histor

the programs of the truman administration. during the course of the evening, he might indicate those areas in which his programs are not in -- our new. what kind of programs have been brought? programs that will expand educational opportunities. give to all americans their equal chance for education for all of the things which are necessary and due to the hearts of our people. which will -- improve medicare and is better handled. i are notnnedy and disagreement, we both want to help the old people. we want to see they have medical care. of higherat the means education will reach that goal. whatever it is, whether it is the field of housing, health, medical care, schools or development of electric power, we have programs which we believe will move america forward and build on the wonderful record that we have made over these past 7.5 years. when they look at these programs, might i suggest that in evaluating them come we often have a tendency to say, the test of a program is how much you are spending. i will concede that in all

under truman and eisenhower there were basically note takers but under kennedy the size increased at 20 to handle policy issues than doubled again when kissinger maintained the national security advisor to nixon by the time bush took office it was well over 100 these were professional experts in specific areas and in many respects the national security act of 1947 was turned on its head so the body that coordinated government policy has intended the national security council staff became a policymaking tool to the president bush ran policy from the white house the national security staff allowed him to do so. the second point is bush is a born-again christian who saw the world in biblical terms. especially after 9/11 he defined the battle against terrorism as a struggle between good and evil he saw himself as god's agent place on earth to defeat the forces of satan. that religious fixation is a common denominator behind the excesses' of the bush and administration and the foreign policy decisions that he made. in many respects contrast of abraham lincoln is interesting in 1861 after

he never even talked to truman! he thought truman was a clerk! all right? truman never got briefed. he didn't know anything. then eleanor calls him to the white house and says he is dead. truman says is there anything i can do for you, mrs. roosevelt? she said, is there anything i can do for you? you're in trouble now. truman knew nothing. he gets all of this stuff. they're researching the bomb. he has to get up to speed on what it is. he had no idea. >> it's interesting. the long lens of history on that decision, interesting. you have carter and both bush's writing letters supporting the decision. >> i asked all five living presidents to write me a personal letter whether they would have supported truman to drop the bomb. three didn't. the two bushes and carter. all three said yes. this is speculation. i don't think he would have dropped the bomb. clinton didn't because he didn't president. but i think clinton would have dropped it. >> some of your critics say that killing series, it's time for the killing to stop, o'reilly? >> yeah. we only sell 2 to 3 million books each time. yea

when harry truman was president , he was not afraid to have a strong secretary of defense. dean acheson, george marshall were strong secretaries of state. excuse me -- state. but he also made sure that there was a bipartisan support. the members of congress, arthur vandenberg, walter george, were part of the process, and before our nation made a secret agreement, or before we made a bluffing statement, we were sure that we had the backing not only of the president and the secretary of state, but also of the congress and the people. this is a responsibility of the president. and i think it's very damaging to our country for mr. ford to have turned over this responsibility to the secretary of state. ms. frederick: president ford, do you have a response? mr. ford: governor carter again contradicts himself. he complains about secrecy and yet he is quoted as saying that in the attempt to find a solution in the middle east that he would hold unpublicized meetings with the soviet union, i presume for the purpose of imposing a settlement on israel and the arab nations. but let me t

and truman was a businessman too, smaller business. >> he was a hat maker.an and that is donald trump's background for sure. i also was struck yesterday looking at an article about how the united states is ramping up intelligence capabilities with regard to russia. we spent so much of the past several years working on terrorism but now indeed everybody is sort of recognizing that we need to know a heck of a in russia and you think about poor mitt romney who said he thought that was one of the biggest security concerns we had and president obama laughed at him. i think a lot of people just wonder how much depth donald trump has and in his understanding what will happen in the world. venue or discussion today. that's what we're/z+ told. there is so much focus on "birther" thing. that is one of the questions for him, isn't it, bill? >> it is. you will get a little bit of that in the debate. holt will zero in on that lester holt, the nbc moderator. you never know. a lot has to do with advisors and who the president surrounds himself with whom, and whether the pr

neither truman or eisenhower had a security advisor. under truman and eisenhower the staff were note takers and minute keepers and numbered 3-4. under kennedy, the size of the staff increased to 20 and began to handle policy issues. it doubled when kissinger became the national security advisor to nixon. by the time george bush took over it numbered well over a hundred. these were professional experts in areas. in many respects, the national security act of 1947 has been turned on its head. instead of a body that coordinated policy, the national security staff became a policymaking tool of the president. bush ran policy from the white house and the national security staff allowed him to do so. the second point i would like to make is that bush is a born again christian who saw the world in biblical terms and that was specially true after 9/11. bush defined the battle of terrorism as a struggle between good and evil and saw himself as god's agent put on earth to defeat the forces of satan. that religious fixation is the common denominato

o truman used the nsc that way. eisenhower used the nsc that way. eisenhower met with the nsc every week on thursday at 10:00. and in his eight years in the white house, he presides over 314 meeting of the nsc. the change came with john kennedy. kennedy appointed mcgeorge kendy as hismanal security adviser. neither truman nor icessen hour had a national security adviser and the size of the staff mushroomed. under truman and eisenhower the staff of the nsc were note tablingers and minute keepers and numbered three or four. under ken the size of the staff increased to 20 and began to handle policy issues. it doubled again when kissinger became the national security adviser to nixon and by the time george bush took office, numbered well over 100. these were professional experts in specific areas. in many respects the national security act of 1947 had been turn on its head. instead of a body that coordinated government policy, as was intended, the national security council staff became a policymaking tool of the president. bush ran policy from the white

they seem to be rethreads of the brams of the truman administration which -- programs of the truman administration which preceded him. the programs will need more progress. what kind of programs are we for? we are for programs that will expand educational opportunities, that will give to all americans their equal chance for education for all of the things which are necessary and dear to the hearts of our people. we are for programs, in addition, which will see our medical care for the aged are much better handled than it is at the present time. i indicate that senator kennedy and i are in disagreement as to the end. we both want to help the old people. we want to see they have adequate medical care. the question is the means. i think that the means that i advocate will reach that goal better than the means he advocates. i can give you an example. whether it's in the field of housing or health or medical care or schools or the development of electric power, we have programs which we believe will move america, move her forward and build on the wonderful record we have made over these past 7 1/2 year

harry truman. she's in for a surprise. champagne bottle unlike this one hasn't been properly prepared to break glass on impact and now mrs. truman unaware that her bottle is not prepared -- [laughter] >> let's see her her military meets the crisis. [laughter] [applause] >> that could never happen today because it has greatly improved. the sad thing is history brought her to the war and reluctant to be in this big -- >> come to town. >> she spent much of her time in missouri. they were flying medical air ships. she looked pretty game there but she was really embarrassed and never did a large public event after that. consequences, however, her devotions to the military continued and less public ways. and she had almost weekly gatherings at blair house, social functions, bringing in veterans and their families to enjoy the blair house and she also was a regular volunteer at the uso and what i like about this is that she absolutely insisted on not being treated as first lady. she was just a regular volunteer with the rest and

to my immediate left, thomas is the author of nine novels including dewey defeats truman. truman. he's a contributor to the new yorker, "new york times" book review and the atlantic. in 2011 he received the american academy memorial award and has been the editor of gq in the national madonna for the humanities and the latest book looks at the reagan years by weaving fictional characters with historical events and historical figures such as ronald and nancy reagan, nixon, margaret thatcher and one of my personal favorite characters in the, merv griffin. [laughter] you write about this wall ronald reagan had at the detachment and i think nancy said she was the only person even though she could only go so far and thomas, i know you talked about how you've written about historical characters from their point of view in many times you do that with both nixon and nancy but then ronald reagan was very tough to do that with so i guess i will start with bill and talk about what accounts for that wall that so many people talked about and what kind of challenges posed in writing your book. >

truman is also trying to build a cold war strategy, a strategy for fighting the soviet union. gerald ford is involved in that. this internationalist congressman from grand rapids gains an important seat on the appropriations committee. he oversees -- in time -- the army's budget, and so he is involved in the cold war strategy as he travels from base to base around the globe, looking at american interests and particularly u.s. army around europe and southeast asia. ford is a republican on capitol hill. engaged in partisan struggle. he is interested in republican policies, just as the democrats are interested in democratic policy, but you have to find a way to work together on capitol hill, and ford quickly earned a reputation as somebody who could work with both sides of the aisle. he -- there were times when he challenged his republican leadership, and he worked with democrats. there were times when he pulled democrats into what were republican issues, to further legislation on the hill. so he earned a reputation, even as he pursued partisan politics and a leadership position

it was named for truman's home state. year, when senator truman watched his daughter chrissen the missouri as it was launched into new york harbor. just weeks after the surrender, the ship was back in new york, welcomed by thousands, including president truman. he visited the spot where the war had ended. he sat at the surrender table to sign the guestbook. and described it as the happiest day of his life. today, with this plaque, now famous day. the missouri has anchored where world war ii began for the united states. mighty moe now stands proudly and at peace at pearl harbor. >> extraordinary. and only today the president is in hawaii after a historic visit to midway in the south pacific. the scene, of course, of one of the most decisive and horrific battles of the war. he was there only last night. >>> and now to an update on tropical storm hermine barrelling up the east coast threatening to became a hurricane-forced storm off the mid-atlantic coast this holiday weekend. first made land fall in florida overnight. as a

he told truman, no, don't doit. i will tell you wn' want dp the bomb he waed th glory of the invasion but it would have killed 4 to 5 million truman isn't sure what the bomb is? >> frankli roosevelt who dies in georgia with hisistressn the room. another fascating story. he never even talked to truman! he thought truman was a clerk! all right? uman never got briefed. heidn't know anytng. th eleanor calls him to the white hoe and says is de. truman says is there anythini can for you, mrs. roosevelt? she said,eranything can do f y you're in troue now. tran knewingothing. he has to get up to speed on what it is. he had no idea. >> the long lens of history on that decision, interesting. you have carter and both bush's writing letters supporting the decision. >> i asked all five living presidents t write me a personal letter whether they would have supported truman to drop the bomb. three didn't, two bush's and carter. all three said yes. this is speculion. i don't think he would have with his wife running for president.

. >> calling play by play for the los angeles dodgers since they were in brooklyn, truman was in the white house, and nat king cole was on the radio. >> now sports broadcasting legend signed off for good. here's david wright. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: this weekend, they rolled out the blue carpet at dodger stadium. >> oh, come on. it's just me. >> reporter: the end of an era that lasted 67 years. >> hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good evening to you. i thought i'd get that out of >> reporter: vince, calling them as he sees them since 1950s. >> the windup, here's the pitch. it's a perfect game. >> reporter: from jackie robinson, sandy cofax to henry aaron breaking babe ruth's home run record for the opposing team. >> and it's gone! what a marvellous moment for baseball. >> reporter: what did that moment mean? >> for me, i tried to call the play as accurately and quickly as possible, and then shut up and let the crowd roar because there's nothing better. >> reporter: fans watched with him, even when they are there at the ballpark watching the game. >> thank you for paint

ask jim to review the situation in europe so to put the mambo's old track and was then invited by truman and eisenhower to review so the hoover commission to make recommendations a lot of them are followed to be applauded as the did minister she kept going back to the convention so david sale let's bring hooverov back. kryptonit but they were treating him like kryptonite to stay over there and then as he got that recognition back as a former statesman. >> to of a self-made very wealthy successful things you have already covered. with a new level way of doing things as a result aslt you have a man running for president only is the hopeat we to understand the mistakes in preparing for the next presidential election? >> that is an interesting question. yes. just to bring in a little further that was his first elective office he didn't like public speaking and the dog and pony show but trump seems to enjoy that part. i don't think they share the same assets their strong suits are different but one thing that hoover ran into in the white house the process of politics and p making deals you do

truman is in for a surprise. by an oversight the champagne bottle come on like this one hasn't been properly prepared. at should break the on impact now mrs. truman is unaware that the bottle is not prepared. [laughter] . . >> >> her devotion to the military continued unless public ways. and she had almost briefly a gathering with the social functions to enjoy the of blair house and also what i like about her is she absolutely insisted to not be treated as the first lady she was a regular volunteer she just wanted to be helpful instead of upsetting things. >> margaret said what about history? she said that's what i'm thinking about. [laughter] so apparently huge numbers and. >> the question is with eisenhower and how did that affect her time? >> obviously she was still where the of the regular functions she continued that and was an advocate for members of the military and with her long history as a military wife. >> that's true. >> issue was never happier when the bodies came up to sit on the roof on the terrace

harry truman becomes president. roosevelt had really functioned as his own secretary of state.e had a secretary of state nam -- state who was a capable u.s. steel executive but really out of his depth in major foreign policy discussions. and so the secretary of state is not strong. poor president truman, who had lunch once with franklin roosevelt and really had not been clued in on what roosevelt was planning, is unschooled in where things stand x. so roosevelt -- so vandenberg goes to san francisco as really the most influential american delegate, and he has truman deferring to him, he has secretary of state deferring to him, and he's helping set the stage for what the united nations' charter is going to look like. >> no nation hereafter can immunize itself by its own exclusive action. only collective security can stop the next great war before it starts. >> and so he found himself being lionized and found the country really looking to him as an outspoken voice for a rational approach. not, nothing utopian. it wasn't going to be one world. one of his republican rivals, wendell

every presidentom harry truman on has tried to get universal health care and ended up with obamacare which by everybody's account is flawed, but every other major industrialized nation in the world has universal health care so it's a question of, not whether we should have it but how do we fix it, make it work? but because he did that he lost congress, and he has had a terrible time ever since in getting anything through congress. he just a terrifically terrible time but he kept ben bernanke as the head offed ins and he was abehind by george w. bush, and he decreedded bernanke been as having ended the reseeings, far more so than congress -- what they did for the supplements. so, bows were things that obama did, but after that he has had a lot of trouble getting anything through. hillary clinton gets in, there's a reasonably good chance she'll -- the democrats will take the senate. but taking the senate dish don't want to good too far afield but one of the things i harp on is article 1, section 5 of the constitution. that says each house makes it own rules. when the founding fathers c

he did those things for truman. he then was invited by truman and then again by eisenhower to review the efficiencies of the u.s. government so there was the hoover commissions and made recommendations and a lot of them were followed. so his -- he got some applaud its as an administer your but went week in convention hoping for the call that, let's bring hoover back in the republican conventions, and in fact the republicans were treating him like crypto note -- kryptonite. no, no you stay over there. and hoover had to live with that. as much as he got some of the recognition back as his stature as a former statesman, that was it for him. >> with president hoover we had a very wealthy person that did a lot of successful things you have already covered. and you get a mindset you get a way of doing things as a result. traits. i found a somewhat self-made, very wealthy man running for president. do you see anything that would be helpful for him to understand aso that we honest into the potholes or mistakes in preparing

said this is february march, 1945 and april of 1945 roosevelt dies and harry truman becomes president. roosevelt had functioned as his own secretary of state of a capable steel executive the really part of his death of major foreign policy discussions so secretary of state, is not strong treatment to have lunch once with roosevelt and was not clued in on what roosevelt was planning and on school where things stand, so vandenberg goes to san francisco and has truman deferring to him. and help a-2 set the stage of what the united nations charter was a look-alike. >> no one can immunize itself. only collective security can stop the next one before it starts. >> chief found himself to be lionized looking to him as the unspoken place for a rational approach it wouldn't be one world of those republican rivals. maybe we should have a world government coming back out of the closet, and to bring the boys home and let's wash our hands and vandenberg said no. we cannot do that we have to look after american interest as part of our global structure. vandenberg was an early e advocate robert taft

truman had a great fear of macarthur. he thought macarthur was a brilliant general but not suitable to become president. but he thought eisenhower would. and i eisenhower did game a tremendous amount of experience in diplomacy running the eto, the european theater of operations, world war 2, and running nato. so he had that going for him. he tide not have any political experience. and the only way he even got into office, he owed it to one man. that one man was richard nixon, because in the election of 1952, robert taft, the son of chief justice robert taft, who had friar that been president of the united states after teddy roosevelt. robert taft was considered the senator from ohio, considered mr. republican. well, robert taft was also an isolationist. he had been an isolationist before the war and after the war. even sow, we they went to republican convention in 1952 robert taft had the greates number of delegates. richmond nixon stepped and how he did it i do not know. he had knack for this sort of thing help managed t

the auction house will not say author truman capote sold at that same auction for $45,000. again, the winner is unknown. okay. how much did your hair go for? >> when i shaved it all off? it went to propecia. >> people were not standing waiting for their locks? >> no, not at all. >> all right. >> shocking. >>> coming up, the transatlantic flight diverted by a samsung tablet catching on fire. what happened on the detroit to amsterdam flight after it fell inside a seat and was jammed. william and the duchess, kate, are on their second official visit to canada. and what a difference five years makes. first here's a look at today's temperatures. >>> "world news now" weather >>> authorities in cleveland are issuing a warning after seven fatal overdoses in one day. the victims died from either heroin or phetynol or combination of both. the cases are not believed to be linked. >> a tablet believed to be cause of a smoking problem causing and emergency landing in england this weekend. they reported spoke in the caused by an overheat the tablet wedged in a seat. samsung not commentin

. >> his name was truman. do you know truman's first name?ike a woman? >> harriet? >> that was a meesh with jim carrey. in case i don't see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night. >> he had a famous saying. the buck stops. >> in japan. >> the buck stops. >> here. >> yes. >> really? >> do you know who i am? >> no. >> i'm watters and this is my world. i'm watters, and this is my world. >> wait, what? >>> well, that is it. i hope you've enjoyed this special election edition of "watters' world." don't forget to follow me on >>> welcome to "red eye." i'm tom shillue. let's check in with andy levey at the tease deck. andy? >> coming up on the big show. it has been a big week for donald trump who somehow finds the time to leave us a huge voicemail. plus, cocaine babes. enough said, true believers. and a new study reveals dogs can understand what you are saying and even worse, i'm pretty sure they are telling the government. back to you, tom. >> thank you, andy. let's welcome our guests. she is the best thing to come from ohio since the li

so truman was put in this commanders said don't do it, but he did it anyway. again, that's why we wrote the book, why he dropped the a-bomb, how americans sacrificed unbelievably to defeat this evil empire. that's what they were at the time, japan. and what it took. and it took amazing amount of courage. >> jimmy: you did an interesting thing. you wrote letters to president obama and to all the living presidents. >> five living presidents. >> jimmy: asking them what they would have done if they were in the same position. you? >> three responded. jimmy carter and the two bushes. they all three said they would have dropped the bomb. and they gave me the reasons. and we put those letters in the book. president obama did not respond. i don't think he would have dropped the bomb. speculation. speculation, but he's not that -- president obama looks at the world in a way that he thinks he can negotiate a lot of things. all right? so i don't think he would have -- >> jimmy: sounds like another guy that's running for president right now, doesn't it? >> well, that's - p

bishop: dear president truman... i mean "harry." i mean "sir." i realize it's a little unorthodox to write a dead president, but you were the 33rd president of the united states,

he told truman not to do it. i'm not going to tell you, why it's part of the book to find that out. but i didn't know that. who was for it, who was against it? eisenhower against it. macarthur didn't want to drop the bomb. again, for reasons that will startle you. so truman was put in this position where his two major commanders said don't do it, but he did it again, that's why we wrote the book, why he dropped the a-bomb, how americans sacrificed unbelievably to defeat this evil empire. that's what they were at the time, japan. and what it took. and it took amazing amount of courage. >> jimmy: you did an interesting thing. you wrote letters to president obama and to all the living presidents. >> five living presidents. >> jimmy: asking them what they would have done if they were in the same position. >> right. >> jimmy: and who responded to you? >> three responded. they all three said they would have dropped the bomb. and they gave me the reasons. and we put those letters in the book. president obama did not respond. i don't think he would have dropped the bomb. speculation. specul