American History Hit

Biden: US Presidents, Reelection & the Second Term Curse

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Episode notes

President Joe Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday night, after announcing he was ending his reelection bid a few days ago. Dropping out so close to the election is historically unprecedented, but Biden is not to first president to make this decision. In 1968, Lyndon B. Johnson sat in the same office to announce the same news.

But what makes Biden's situation so rare? Has a sitting president ever been under pressure to drop out over concerns about their age and mental clarity? Who were the other presidents who chose to serve only one term? And is there any truth to the so-called 'second term curse'?

For this special bonus episode, Don is joined by Professor of History, Kevin M. Kruse, from Princeton.

You can find out more about Kevin's newsletter, Campaign Trails, here.

Producer: Sophie Gee. Produced and mixed by Charlotte Long.

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