George H.W. Bush in an Anti-Establishment Age, with Laurence Jurdem

George H.W. Bush in an Anti-Establishment Age, with Laurence Jurdem

June 23, 2026 · 51 min

About this episode

The episode discusses George H.W. Bush's presidency in the context of today's anti-establishment sentiments with historian Laurence Jurdem.

We live in an era defined by distrust of institutions, political outsiders, and anti-establishment movements. What can the life of perhaps the ultimate establishment president tell us about America today? In this episode, I speak with historian Laurence Jurdem about his new book, 41: George H.W. Bush and the End of the American Establishment . We discuss Bush’s rise through the political, diplomatic, and intelligence institutions of his era, why voters eventually turned against the world he represented, and how his presidency—and legacy—look in an age increasingly defined by populism and skepticism toward the establishment. 41: George H. W. Bush and the End of the American Establishment https://www.amazon.com/41-George-Bush-American-Establishment/dp/B0FXV7V2FP/ JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at  www.bit.ly/TAPpremium BUY US A COFFEE buymeacoffee.com/thisamericanpresident FOLLOW US: www.thisamericanpresident.com/ CREDITS Host: Richard Lim Producer: Michael Neal Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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