53 episodes

The Washington Post's Presidential podcast explores how each former American president reached office, made decisions, handled crises and redefined the role of commander-in-chief. It was released leading up to up to Election Day 2016, starting with George Washington in week one and ending on week 44 with the president-elect. New special episodes in the countdown to the 2020 presidential election highlight other stories from U.S. presidential history that can help illuminate our current moment. Hosted by Lillian Cunningham, the series features Pulitzer Prize-winning biographers like David McCullough and Washington Post journalists like Bob Woodward. [When you're done, listen to Lillian's other historical podcasts: Constitutional and Moonrise]

Presidential Washington Post Audio

    • History
    • 4.4 • 3.5K Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

The Washington Post's Presidential podcast explores how each former American president reached office, made decisions, handled crises and redefined the role of commander-in-chief. It was released leading up to up to Election Day 2016, starting with George Washington in week one and ending on week 44 with the president-elect. New special episodes in the countdown to the 2020 presidential election highlight other stories from U.S. presidential history that can help illuminate our current moment. Hosted by Lillian Cunningham, the series features Pulitzer Prize-winning biographers like David McCullough and Washington Post journalists like Bob Woodward. [When you're done, listen to Lillian's other historical podcasts: Constitutional and Moonrise]

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    A sneak peek from Lillian

    A sneak peek from Lillian

    Exclusively for listeners of “Presidential,” Lillian Cunningham shares news about her new podcast. You don’t want to miss this.

    • 56 sec
    BONUS | Happy Presidents’ Day! Or … not?

    BONUS | Happy Presidents’ Day! Or … not?

    Students, teachers and historians reflect on what has changed — and should change — about the way we teach presidential history today. This special episode features presidential experts Barbara Perry and Julian Zelizer, “How the Word Is Passed” author Clint Smith, and the AP government and politics class of teacher Michael Martirone.

    • 26 min
    Joe Biden: Triumph, tragedy and the fate of the center

    Joe Biden: Triumph, tragedy and the fate of the center

    Four years later, the “Presidential” podcast adds a new biography to its cadre of American presidents. This special episode explores Joe Biden's decades-long, hard-fought personal and political path to the White House, with the New Yorker’s Evan Osnos.

    • 53 min
    BONUS | What books about Trump say about America

    BONUS | What books about Trump say about America

    Books published in the Trump era reveal the battles over, and changes in, the American presidency today. In this special episode of “Presidential,” Post nonfiction book critic Carlos Lozada shares what he’s learned from reading more than 150 of them.

    • 30 min
    BONUS | Pandemic, propaganda and the presidency

    BONUS | Pandemic, propaganda and the presidency

    The 1918 influenza pandemic killed more than 675,000 Americans, but President Woodrow Wilson never made a single public statement about it. Why? Here’s what happens when efforts to promote patriotism and suppress free speech collide with a deadly virus.

    • 40 min
    BONUS | When a VP pick changes history

    BONUS | When a VP pick changes history

    In ’84, a former VP got the Democratic presidential nomination, faced a Republican incumbent and chose the first female running mate in U.S. history. Sound familiar? Go behind history in this special episode, featuring an interview with Walter Mondale.

    • 39 min

Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5
3.5K Ratings

3.5K Ratings

ShipShore ,

Thank You!!!

A friend recommended this podcast to me and I have not been disappointed!!!
Case in point: I’ve listened to the Harry Truman segment 3 times. Kudos for bringing the incomparable David McCollough to provide insight.
Anyway, Lillian Cunningham knocked the ball out of the park with this series.

Cool Firework🧨 ,

Love it

Monroe was very interesting. Actually, this whole podcast was very interesting. Now go listen to it, get informed and interested about the US presidents, and stop reading this review.

John VerValen ,

There seems to be bias here

The episode on Trump was all about tearing him down, but with Biden you start from his childhood and build him up and ignore the fact that he is a racist and that he has a problem with telling the truth, but you excoriate Trump for his falsehoods. I guess your liberal bias is showing through. What would be nice is if you were to become the journalist you say you are and just stick to the facts and present it without your thumb on the scale.

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