August 8, 1974. President Richard Nixon sits in the Oval Office, addressing the American people. He tells them: I’m going to resign. The news is shocking, but not unexpected. Today, it might even seem inevitable. But in the days leading up to the big decision, Nixon himself didn’t know what he would do. At night he roamed the halls of the White House, torturously weighing his options. He even ordered a speechwriter to draft a statement announcing his refusal to resign. Sally Helm sits down with political speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum to talk about this curious kind of a document: a speech that could’ve changed history if only it had been given. They discuss what Nixon, and two other speech givers, would have felt preparing multiple drafts, as they faced an uncertain future, and how the world would be different had these speeches been given.
Special thanks to our guest: Jeff Nussbaum, author of Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Civil Rights Children’s Crusade
Ping Pong Diplomacy
148 Tornadoes in 18 Hours (Replay)
Bunnies, Baseball, and Aliens on the Moon
Fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory
The Tragic Life of London’s Favorite Clown
Axis Sally’s Nazi Radio
Introducing: American Football (Episode 1: Canton, Ohio)
The Flight of the Concorde
The Cold War Gets A Wall
The Apollo Theater is Reborn
Anatomy of a Campus Heist
Britain Axes the Monarchy
The Dogs Who Saved Nome, Alaska
From Cautionary Tales: Martin Luther King Jr, the Jewelry Genius, and the Art of Public Speaking
Tuskegee Top Gun
Uncovering Tutankhamun
End of Year Pitch-A-Thon
The Surprising History of Christmas Gifts
Samuel Adams Brews Rebellion
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Food That Built America
Not What You Thought You Knew
Letters of Love in WW2