“I started reporting this book before we had children. In between, I often oscillated between reasons to despair at our politics and occasions to rejoice at home. By the end, I was writing this book for them, in the wish that they might someday read of a time when their country lost sight of its moral ambitions, and, I hope, began the process of seeing them again.”
-Evan Osnos, episode 364 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Writer Evan Osnos (The New Yorker, CNN) has been interviewing Joe Biden on and off for the past decade. He recently profiled the 46th President ahead of his State of the Union, offering a rare (and revealing) portrait of the elder statesman from Pennsylvania.
In act one, we outline the state and stakes of the 2024 election (7:20), Biden’s demeanor “behind closed doors” (12:07), the accomplishments (15:42) and failures (21:00) of his first term, and what’s changed since his initial pitch to be a ‘transitional candidate’ (26:31).
In act two, we turn to the twice-impeached, four-time criminal indictee, and presumptive GOP nominee for president, Donald Trump: his symbolic campaign announcement in Waco, Texas (32:40), the ‘combat mentality’ at the center of his bid for reelection (35:54), and the authoritarian vision (38:00) he has for America, come 2025 (39:25).
In act three, a speed-round of pressing questions you may have about the 2024 election (54:27), an attempt to wrestle with Biden’s psychology (1:03:08), and, to close, a timely passage from Osnos’ stunning book Wildland: The Making of America’s Fury (1:12:18).
For questions, comments, or to join our mailing list, reach me at sf@talkeasypod.com. This conversation was recorded at Spotify Studios in Los Angeles.
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Show-notes:
- Read Evan Osnos’ recent profile of President Biden in The New Yorker.
- Order his books: Wildland, Joe Biden: The Life, the Run, and What Matters Now, and Age of Ambition.
- Learn more about Evan’s work on his website.
- Hear him on The Political Scene Podcast.
- Follow him on Twitter.
- For more, hear our talks with George Saunders, Margaret Atwood, Gloria Steinem, Jhumpa Lahiri, and David Remnick.
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Original illustration by Krishna Shenoi.
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