Biden Presidency: Historians’ Advice Doom it to Failure

On March 2, 2021, just over a month after he had assumed office, Joe Biden gathered a distinguished panel of presidential historians for a private meeting in the East Room of the White House. Organized by Jon Meacham, the gathering was attended by other influential historians: Doris Kearns Goodwin, Michael Beschloss, Michael Dyson, Joanne Freeman, Annette Gordon-Reed, and Walter Isaacson, the crème de la crème of the American Historical Association. Truly, it was a distinguished panel whose members are known for their understanding of the office of the president, its role, and its limitations. During the session, Biden and the historians explored his desire to have a transformative presidency. The meeting lasted for two hours.

It’s clear from the results of the past two years that first, the allure of presidential greatness is very powerful, and second, the presidential historians present failed in their professional responsibility to caution Biden on the very real historical limits to his agenda.

About the Author

Jerry Hendrix

Jerry Hendrix is a retired Navy captain and a senior fellow at the Sagamore Institute.

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On March 2, 2021, just over a month after he had assumed office, Joe Biden gathered a distinguished panel of presidential historians for a private meeting in the East Room of the White House. Organized by Jon Meacham, the gathering was attended by other influential historians: Doris Kearns Goodwin, Michael Beschloss, Michael Dyson, Joanne Freeman, Annette Gordon-Reed, and Walter Isaacson, the crème de la crème of the American Historical Association. Truly, it was a distinguished panel whose members are known for their understanding of the office of the president, its role, and its limitations. During the session, Biden and the historians explored his desire to have a transformative presidency. The meeting lasted for two hours.

It’s clear from the results of the past two years that first, the allure of presidential greatness is very powerful, and second, the presidential historians present failed in their professional responsibility to caution Biden on the very real historical limits to his agenda.