web01.fireside.fm Sun, 26 Apr 2026 14:36:29 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Tatter - Episodes Tagged with “Presidency” https://tatter.fireside.fm/tags/presidency Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0500 This is a podcast exploring issues in politics and policy. Each episode features conversation with at least one subject matter expert, with a goal of helping listeners better understand the topic. en-us episodic Politics and Policy Michael Sargent This is a podcast exploring issues in politics and policy. Each episode features conversation with at least one subject matter expert, with a goal of helping listeners better understand the topic. no politics, policy, law Michael Sargent profsargent@gmail.com Episode 63: Tripwire (w/ Peter Margulies) https://tatter.fireside.fm/63 e71767f0-0a04-465b-9682-d12247c13f8a Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0500 Michael Sargent full Michael Sargent A discussion of the presidential transition, Trump's resistance to that transition, and the hazards presented. 35:52 no ABOUT THIS EPISODE The firings and resignations of senior civilian officials at the Pentagon--most notably of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper--has raised alarm in many quarters. Many are also concerned about President Trump's refusal to concede the election and his refusal to support a transition to the administration of President-elect Joe Biden. I discuss these concerns, and other issues, with Roger Williams University Professor of Law, and expert on national security law, Peter Margulies. LINKS --Peter Margulies's Roger Williams University profile (https://law.rwu.edu/faculty/peter-s-margulies) --"Trump administration removes senior defense officials and installs loyalists, triggering alarm at Pentagon," by Barbara Starr, Zachary Cohen, & Ryan Browne, for CNN (https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/10/politics/pentagon-policy-official-resigns/index.html) --"Is it mere spite--or something more sinister?" by Michael T. Klare, for The Nation (https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/esper-trump-fired/) --"Exclusive: Top official on U.S. election cybersecurity tells associates he expects to be fired," by Christopher Bing, Joseph Menn, & Raphael Satter, for Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber-officials-exclusive-idUSKBN27S2YI) --"Kavanaugh decision sides with immigrant seeking factual review of denied torture claim," by Debra Cassens Weiss, for ABAJournal (https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/kavanaugh-decision-sides-with-immigrant-seeking-factual-review-of-denied-torture-claim) Special Guest: Peter Margulies. Biden, Trump, transition, presidency, national security ABOUT THIS EPISODE
The firings and resignations of senior civilian officials at the Pentagon--most notably of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper--has raised alarm in many quarters. Many are also concerned about President Trump's refusal to concede the election and his refusal to support a transition to the administration of President-elect Joe Biden. I discuss these concerns, and other issues, with Roger Williams University Professor of Law, and expert on national security law, Peter Margulies.

LINKS
--Peter Margulies's Roger Williams University profile
--"Trump administration removes senior defense officials and installs loyalists, triggering alarm at Pentagon," by Barbara Starr, Zachary Cohen, & Ryan Browne, for CNN
--"Is it mere spite--or something more sinister?" by Michael T. Klare, for The Nation
--"Exclusive: Top official on U.S. election cybersecurity tells associates he expects to be fired," by Christopher Bing, Joseph Menn, & Raphael Satter, for Reuters
--"Kavanaugh decision sides with immigrant seeking factual review of denied torture claim," by Debra Cassens Weiss, for ABAJournal

Special Guest: Peter Margulies.

]]> ABOUT THIS EPISODE
The firings and resignations of senior civilian officials at the Pentagon--most notably of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper--has raised alarm in many quarters. Many are also concerned about President Trump's refusal to concede the election and his refusal to support a transition to the administration of President-elect Joe Biden. I discuss these concerns, and other issues, with Roger Williams University Professor of Law, and expert on national security law, Peter Margulies.

LINKS
--Peter Margulies's Roger Williams University profile
--"Trump administration removes senior defense officials and installs loyalists, triggering alarm at Pentagon," by Barbara Starr, Zachary Cohen, & Ryan Browne, for CNN
--"Is it mere spite--or something more sinister?" by Michael T. Klare, for The Nation
--"Exclusive: Top official on U.S. election cybersecurity tells associates he expects to be fired," by Christopher Bing, Joseph Menn, & Raphael Satter, for Reuters
--"Kavanaugh decision sides with immigrant seeking factual review of denied torture claim," by Debra Cassens Weiss, for ABAJournal

Special Guest: Peter Margulies.

]]> Episode 50: Wrong Tool for the Job (Brian Kalt, on the 25th Amendment) https://tatter.fireside.fm/50 b97bd447-2c54-409f-95bf-a9745c38d072 Fri, 20 Mar 2020 13:00:00 -0400 Michael Sargent full Michael Sargent My conversation with Michigan State's Brian Kalt, as we discuss the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Section 4. 43:38 no ABOUT THIS EPISODE Concerns about Donald Trump's fitness to serve as U.S. President have motivated many people to advocate for the invocation of the 25th Amendment, particularly Section 4. Those who have engaged in such advocacy--and I've done it--seem to believe that effectively invoking Section 4 of the 25th Amendment could be a way to remove Trump from office. But my guest--Brian Kalt of the Michigan State University College of Law--makes a case that we're wrong. LINKS --Brian Kalt's MSU profile (https://www.law.msu.edu/faculty_staff/profile.php?prof=44) --Unable: The Law, Politics, and Limits of Section 4 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment (by Brian Kalt) (https://www.amazon.com/Unable-Politics-Section-Twenty-Fifth-Amendment/dp/0190083190) --"President Trump is unfit for this crisis. Period." (by Jennifer Senior, at The New York Times) (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/opinion/trump-corona-cdc.html) --"Bayh aide not surprised 25th Amendment hasn't removed a president" (by Maureen Groppe, at The Indianapolis Star) (https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2017/09/14/bayh-aide-not-surprised-25th-amendment-hasnt-removed-president/639442001/) --_Full Disclosure: A Novel _(by William Safire) (https://www.amazon.com/Full-disclosure-novel-William-Safire/dp/0385121156) Special Guest: Brian Kalt. 25th Amendment, President, presidency, Trump, succession ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Concerns about Donald Trump's fitness to serve as U.S. President have motivated many people to advocate for the invocation of the 25th Amendment, particularly Section 4. Those who have engaged in such advocacy--and I've done it--seem to believe that effectively invoking Section 4 of the 25th Amendment could be a way to remove Trump from office. But my guest--Brian Kalt of the Michigan State University College of Law--makes a case that we're wrong.

LINKS
--Brian Kalt's MSU profile
--Unable: The Law, Politics, and Limits of Section 4 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment (by Brian Kalt)
--"President Trump is unfit for this crisis. Period." (by Jennifer Senior, at The New York Times)
--"Bayh aide not surprised 25th Amendment hasn't removed a president" (by Maureen Groppe, at The Indianapolis Star)
--_Full Disclosure: A Novel _(by William Safire)

Special Guest: Brian Kalt.

]]> ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Concerns about Donald Trump's fitness to serve as U.S. President have motivated many people to advocate for the invocation of the 25th Amendment, particularly Section 4. Those who have engaged in such advocacy--and I've done it--seem to believe that effectively invoking Section 4 of the 25th Amendment could be a way to remove Trump from office. But my guest--Brian Kalt of the Michigan State University College of Law--makes a case that we're wrong.

LINKS
--Brian Kalt's MSU profile
--Unable: The Law, Politics, and Limits of Section 4 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment (by Brian Kalt)
--"President Trump is unfit for this crisis. Period." (by Jennifer Senior, at The New York Times)
--"Bayh aide not surprised 25th Amendment hasn't removed a president" (by Maureen Groppe, at The Indianapolis Star)
--_Full Disclosure: A Novel _(by William Safire)

Special Guest: Brian Kalt.

]]> Episode 48: The Episodic Man (Discussing Donald Trump w/ Dan McAdams) https://tatter.fireside.fm/48 d62bee63-992e-4566-a4ad-4c76a8946da4 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 06:00:00 -0500 Michael Sargent full Michael Sargent Discussing the personality and narrative of Donald Trump, with Northwestern University's Dan McAdams. 1:03:12 no ABOUT THIS EPISODE Dan McAdams is The Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University, as well as Director of the Foley Center for the Study of Lives. McAdams's areas of interest and expertise include personality and personal narrative. He's also written about the personality and narrative of Donald Trump, going back to when Trump was merely a candidate for President. Trump is now U.S. President (and will remain so, at least for the time being, since he was acquitted in a Senate impeachment trial). McAdams has written a new book about the temperament and personal narrative of Trump. With its release about a month away, I spoke to McAdams, and feature that conversation in this episode. LINKS --Dan McAdams's profile at Northwestern University (https://www.psychology.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/core/profiles/dan-mcadams.html) --Foley Center for the Study of Lives, at Northwestern (https://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/foley/) --The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump: A Psychological Reckoning (The Oxford University Press page for McAdams forthcoming book) (https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-strange-case-of-donald-j-trump-9780197507445) --"The Mind of Donald Trump" (June 2016 Atlatic essay by McAdams) (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/the-mind-of-donald-trump/480771/) Special Guest: Dan McAdams. Trump, presidency, Big Five, personality, narrative, stories ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Dan McAdams is The Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University, as well as Director of the Foley Center for the Study of Lives. McAdams's areas of interest and expertise include personality and personal narrative. He's also written about the personality and narrative of Donald Trump, going back to when Trump was merely a candidate for President. Trump is now U.S. President (and will remain so, at least for the time being, since he was acquitted in a Senate impeachment trial). McAdams has written a new book about the temperament and personal narrative of Trump. With its release about a month away, I spoke to McAdams, and feature that conversation in this episode.

LINKS
--Dan McAdams's profile at Northwestern University
--Foley Center for the Study of Lives, at Northwestern
--The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump: A Psychological Reckoning (The Oxford University Press page for McAdams forthcoming book)
--"The Mind of Donald Trump" (June 2016 Atlatic essay by McAdams)

Special Guest: Dan McAdams.

]]> ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Dan McAdams is The Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University, as well as Director of the Foley Center for the Study of Lives. McAdams's areas of interest and expertise include personality and personal narrative. He's also written about the personality and narrative of Donald Trump, going back to when Trump was merely a candidate for President. Trump is now U.S. President (and will remain so, at least for the time being, since he was acquitted in a Senate impeachment trial). McAdams has written a new book about the temperament and personal narrative of Trump. With its release about a month away, I spoke to McAdams, and feature that conversation in this episode.

LINKS
--Dan McAdams's profile at Northwestern University
--Foley Center for the Study of Lives, at Northwestern
--The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump: A Psychological Reckoning (The Oxford University Press page for McAdams forthcoming book)
--"The Mind of Donald Trump" (June 2016 Atlatic essay by McAdams)

Special Guest: Dan McAdams.

]]> Episode 41: Judgment Call (The Impeachment Episode) https://tatter.fireside.fm/41 77759502-11cc-446d-9048-62091a697e5f Thu, 16 May 2019 17:00:00 -0400 Michael Sargent full Michael Sargent A conversation about Trump and impeachment, with political scientists Julia Azari and Seth Masket. 52:52 no ABOUT THIS EPISODE Julia Azari is a political scientist at Marquette University, as well as a frequent contributor to FiveThirtyEight. Seth Masket is a political scientist at the University of Denver, and a contributor to Vox.com's Mischiefs of Faction. The three of us talked about the prospects of impeaching Donald Trump, the potential aftermath, and why it all matters. LINKS --Julia Azari's Marquette University profile (https://www.marquette.edu/political-science/directory/julia-azari.php) --Seth Masket's University of Denver profile (https://www.du.edu/ahss/polisci/facultystaff/masket_seth.html) --"The Trump Era Has Pushed Scholars to the Limits of Our Understanding," by Julia Azari (guest blogger) at Balkinization (https://balkin.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-trump-era-has-pushed-scholars-to.html) --"'Impeachment Will Help Republicans' And Other Myths," by Seth Masket, in Pacific Standard (https://psmag.com/ideas/impeachment-will-help-republicans-and-other-myths) --A recent chat about impeachment, at FiveThirtyEight (including Azari) (https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/pelosi-is-going-after-barr-and-rejecting-impeachment-is-that-a-smart-plan/) Special Guests: Julia Azari and Seth Masket. Trump,impeachment,presidency,political science ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Julia Azari is a political scientist at Marquette University, as well as a frequent contributor to FiveThirtyEight. Seth Masket is a political scientist at the University of Denver, and a contributor to Vox.com's Mischiefs of Faction. The three of us talked about the prospects of impeaching Donald Trump, the potential aftermath, and why it all matters.

LINKS
--Julia Azari's Marquette University profile
--Seth Masket's University of Denver profile
--"The Trump Era Has Pushed Scholars to the Limits of Our Understanding," by Julia Azari (guest blogger) at Balkinization
--"'Impeachment Will Help Republicans' And Other Myths," by Seth Masket, in Pacific Standard
--A recent chat about impeachment, at FiveThirtyEight (including Azari)

Special Guests: Julia Azari and Seth Masket.

]]> ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Julia Azari is a political scientist at Marquette University, as well as a frequent contributor to FiveThirtyEight. Seth Masket is a political scientist at the University of Denver, and a contributor to Vox.com's Mischiefs of Faction. The three of us talked about the prospects of impeaching Donald Trump, the potential aftermath, and why it all matters.

LINKS
--Julia Azari's Marquette University profile
--Seth Masket's University of Denver profile
--"The Trump Era Has Pushed Scholars to the Limits of Our Understanding," by Julia Azari (guest blogger) at Balkinization
--"'Impeachment Will Help Republicans' And Other Myths," by Seth Masket, in Pacific Standard
--A recent chat about impeachment, at FiveThirtyEight (including Azari)

Special Guests: Julia Azari and Seth Masket.

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