WEBVTT

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Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today we're taking

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an in -depth look at a figure whose story is,

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well, far more intricate and dynamic than the

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headlines often suggest. Definitely. A leader

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whose time in office was marked by truly seismic

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events. Events that fundamentally reshaped, you

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know, our nation and the world. We're talking

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about George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the

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United States. And his career saw such dramatic

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shifts in public perception, didn't it? Makes

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him a really compelling subject. It really does.

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Our mission today is to unpack the key moments,

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the policies, the challenges that defined his

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journey. From his Texas governorship? Right,

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through his two terms in the White House and

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even his influential post presidency. And we're

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drawing primarily from a pretty comprehensive

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Wikipedia article for this. Yeah, it provides

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a good structured factual foundation. Our goal

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is really to extract the most important nuggets

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of knowledge, explore the different perspectives

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presented in the material. And maybe uncover

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some surprising facts, too. Exactly. To help

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you become truly well -informed about this pivotal

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figure in American history. You know, what's

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fascinating here is just the sheer breadth of

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his experiences even before his national political

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career really kicked off. Right. It wasn't just

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politics from the start. Not at all. Imagine

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flying warplanes, then navigating the complexities

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of the oil industry and co -owning a major league

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baseball team. Yeah, these weren't just resume

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bullet points. They provided a really unique

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foundation. They shaped his character, prepared

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him for the immense responsibilities ahead. That's

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a great point. And we'll try to connect these

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diverse early experiences to the larger narrative,

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you know, his later decisions, his policies,

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helping us understand the evolution of his public

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persona and his approach as president. Exactly.

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OK, let's untack this then. Let's begin at the

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very start with his early life and the foundations

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of his career spanning from, what, 1946 to 1994.

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Sounds good. George Walker Bush, born July 6,

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1946 in New Haven, Connecticut. Eldest son of

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George H .W. Bush, the 41st president, of course,

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and Barbara Pierce. But raised primarily in Texas,

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right? Midland and Houston. Yes. Alongside four

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siblings. Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy. And

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there was that early family tragedy, too. Yes,

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the very sad death of his younger sister, Robin,

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from leukemia at just three years old in 1953.

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That must have left a lasting mark. Absolutely.

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And a very prominent family lineage, of course.

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His paternal grandfather, Prescott Bush, was

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a U .S. senator from Connecticut. A real political

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dynasty in the making there. His ancestry is

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quite a mix to English, German, with some Dutch

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Welsh Irish French Scottish thrown in. This deep

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family history, that early exposure to public

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service, it really created a unique upbringing.

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And his education followed that varied path,

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too. It did, from public schools in Midland,

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then the more exclusive Kincaid School in Houston.

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And then Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.

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That's a pretty elite prep school. Right. And

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he showed a lighter side there, played baseball,

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was even head cheerleader his senior year. There's

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a yearbook photo to prove it. Head cheerleader.

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Then Yale University graduated in 68 with a BA

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in history. And he continued cheerleading there,

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too, was president of his fraternity Delta Kappa

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Epsilon and a member of Skull and Bones, played

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rugby as well. Though he famously described himself

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as just an average student. Yeah, his GPA apparently

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wasn't stellar in the first few years. But his

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academic journey didn't stop there. He went on

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to Harvard Business School from 73 to 75. earning

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an MBA, which is actually that's a really distinctive

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credential. He's the only U .S. president to

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have earned an MBA. Wow. I didn't realize he

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was the only one. Yeah. And this whole varied

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educational path, you know, elite prep schools,

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Ivy League undergrad and the MBA, it really highlights

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a blend of maybe privilege, but also a clear

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intention to prepare for a career that could

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pivot between business and public service. Exactly.

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It gave him early exposure to different leadership

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environments, a powerful foundation, really.

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suggests a practical, maybe results -oriented

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mindset emerging early on. And beyond education,

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his personal life saw some big developments,

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too. Right. There was a brief engagement in 1967.

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To Catherine Lee Wolfman. But then, a decade

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later, 1977, he met Laura Welch, schoolteacher

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and librarian. And it was a quick courtship,

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wasn't it? Three months. Yeah, very quick. They

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married, settled in Midland, Texas. And there

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was a significant personal change around then

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to his religious conversion. He left the Episcopal

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Church, his family's church, to join Laura's

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United Methodist Church. And later they welcomed

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their fraternal twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna,

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in 1981. Now here's a deeply personal story that

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I think sheds some light on his character. His

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struggles with alcohol. Yes. He was quite open

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about that later. Repeated alcohol abuse before

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his marriage. Which led to a DUI arrest in 1976

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near Kennebunkport, Maine. Got a fine, brief

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license suspension. And he directly attributes

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giving up alcohol in 1986 to his wife's influence

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and his faith. Right. He said, I believe that

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God helped open my eyes, which were closing because

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of booze. That personal struggle, that transformation,

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it paints a vivid picture of someone confronting

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significant personal challenges. And undergoing

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a really profound change before entering the

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main political spotlight. It suggests a capacity

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for self -reflection, maybe a willingness to

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change. That journey definitely speaks to a certain

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resilience, a trait that would be tested again

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and again later on. Absolutely. And interestingly,

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his hobbies, his intellectual pursuits, They

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offer a more nuanced picture, too, don't they?

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Yeah, he's apparently been an avid reader his

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whole adult life, liking biographies and histories.

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And while president, he read the Bible daily.

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But interestingly, near the end of his second

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term, he said he wasn't a literalist about its

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interpretation. There's that anecdote, too, from

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a journalist, Walt Harrington. Oh, yeah. Recalling

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a surprisingly diverse collection of books in

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Bush's home back when he was an oil man. John

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Fowles, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, Gore

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Vidal alongside the biographies. Definitely challenges

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any simple caricature of his intellect. It does.

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He also enjoyed cigars and golf. And famously,

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post presidency, he really got into painting.

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Right. Those projects like out of many. One,

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the portraits of immigrants and portraits of

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courage. His tribute to veterans. A whole different

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side emerged there. OK, let's turn to a period

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that did draw some controversy. His military

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service. Right. May 1968, joined the Air Force,

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commissioned into the Texas Air National Guard.

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Flew F -102s out of Houston after his active

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duty training. But this period sparked criticism,

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allegations of favorable treatment because of

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his father's political standing. Citing things

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like low pilot aptitude test scores. irregular

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attendance. Yeah. Though the Department of Defense

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released all his service records in 2005, those

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questions kind of lingered. He had that temporary

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assignment in Alabama while working on a Senate

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campaign. And was later suspended from flying

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for failing a physical exam, honorably discharged

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in 74. Despite the controversy, it's a notable

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fact. He's still the most recent president to

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have served in the military. It is. And it's

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important, I think, to acknowledge both the service

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and the controversy surrounding it impartially.

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Agreed. His business career also laid some significant

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groundwork. Definitely. 1977 established Arbusto

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Energy, a small oil exploration company. Which

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later evolved, faced challenges with falling

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oil prices. And he eventually joined the board

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of Harkin Energy Corporation. And there was that

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SEC investigation, too. Right. Into possible

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insider trading related to a stock sale. Which

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ultimately concluded he didn't have sufficient

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information for it to count as insider trading.

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But, you know, the questions definitely garnered

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attention. Moving beyond oil in 1989, he led

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that group of investors to buy the Texas Rangers.

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Yeah, the Major League Baseball team put in a

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significant amount himself. Served as managing

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general partner for five years. apparently quite

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hands -on, often seen sitting with the fans.

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And that venture turned out to be very successful

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financially for him. Selling his shares in 98

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yielded over $15 million. Wow. He even briefly

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considered running for commissioner of baseball.

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He did, apparently, in the earlier mid -90s.

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So if we connect this, as you said, to the bigger

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picture, this varied business background, oil,

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sports. It gave him significant personal wealth,

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absolutely, but also invaluable public visibility

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outside of traditional politics. Experience in

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high finance, but also that public facing role

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with the Rangers. Exactly. Engaging directly

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with the public. It undoubtedly shaped his practical

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results oriented image and maybe prepared him

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for those broader political roles. Showed an

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early comfort with public scrutiny. And before

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the governorship, he did make those early political

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forays. Right. 1978. Ran for the U .S. House.

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Lost that race. His opponent painted him as out

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of touch with rural Texans. Then, a decade later,

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moved to D .C. to work on his father's 88 presidential

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campaign. Advisor, media liaison. Campaigned

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extensively. And there's that revealing anecdote.

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About his father asking him to tell John Sununu,

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the White House chief of staff, that he needed

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to resign. Exactly. A delicate task showing trust.

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Definitely. A sign of his growing role within

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the family's political sphere. Which brings us

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right to that pivotal period. His Texas governorship,

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1995 to 2000. This really launched him nationally.

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It did. He declared his candidacy for the 94

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Texas gubernatorial election. His brother Jeb

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was running in Florida at the same time. His

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campaign was very strategically focused, wasn't

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it? Four core themes. Welfare reform. Tort reform.

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limiting lawsuits, basically crime reduction

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and education improvement. And key advisors like

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Karen Hughes, Joal Bow, Karl Rove were central.

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He faced a popular Democratic incumbent and Richards,

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a formidable opponent. And a key campaign promise

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was signing that concealed carry bill, right?

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Something Richards had vetoed. Exactly. And he

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followed through, signed it into law after becoming

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governor. There was also that campaign controversy.

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The rumor about Richards linked to Rove. though

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Rove denied it. Right, but Bush ultimately won

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pretty decisively, 53 .5 % to Richards's 45 .9.

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And as governor, he immediately made his fiscal

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stance clear, used a budget surplus for Texas's

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largest tax cut at the time. $2 billion, signaled

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that conservative fiscal approach. But his administration

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also focused on social services. Extending funding

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for organizations dealing with substance abuse,

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domestic violence. Took a tough stance on crime,

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too. lowering the age for juveniles to be tried

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as adults for serious crimes to 14. And his record

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on capital punishment is, well, Stark, presided

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over 152 executions. More than any previous governor

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in modern U .S. history drew significant criticism,

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particularly from figures like Helen Prajan,

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who argued he didn't give clemency requests serious

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consideration. Environmentally, his administration

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faced criticism, too. Texas ranked low in environmental

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evaluations then. But supporters would point

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to his efforts on teacher salaries, improving

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educational test scores. And then there's that

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surprising policy often overlooked. In 1999,

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he signed a law requiring electric retailers

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to buy a certain amount of energy from renewable

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sources and RPS. The Renewable Portfolio Standard,

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which seems kind of counterintuitive for a Texas

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oilman governor. It does, but that law really

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helped propel Texas to become the leading producer

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of wind -powered electricity in the U .S. eventually.

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So putting it all together. His governorship

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established a clear conservative record, but

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with these fascinating, sometimes unexpected

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elements. Absolutely. It really set the stage

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for his national ambitions, showed he could win

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big, push through significant legislation, and

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craft an image distinct from his father's. And

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his success led to that overwhelming re -election

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in 98. A record 68 % of the vote. First Texas

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governor ever elected to two consecutive four

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-year terms. During that second term, he... actively

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promoted faith -based organizations enjoyed really

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high approval ratings. Consistently high. Between

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62 and 81 percent. He even proclaimed a Jesus

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Day in Texas in 2000. Which certainly signaled

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his social conservative credentials. Right. And

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this period just solidified his national prominence.

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After that strong re -election, speculation intensified.

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And within a year, he decided to go for the 2000

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Republican presidential nomination. Which brings

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us to the campaigns. Starting with that tumultuous

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Yeah. In the primary, he initially cultivated

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that compassionate conservative image. Trying

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for a more centrist appeal maybe than some rivals?

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His platform included restoring integrity and

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honor to the White House, boosting the military,

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cutting taxes, improving education, aiding minorities.

00:12:47.169 --> 00:12:50.450
By early 2000, the race really boiled down to

00:12:50.450 --> 00:12:53.889
him and Senator John McCain. He won Iowa, but

00:12:53.889 --> 00:12:56.250
then McCain pulled off that upset in New Hampshire,

00:12:56.570 --> 00:12:59.029
despite Bush being heavily favored. But he regained

00:12:59.029 --> 00:13:01.570
momentum quickly, especially after South Carolina.

00:13:01.970 --> 00:13:04.870
A primary that became infamous for its negativity,

00:13:05.429 --> 00:13:07.549
frankly, described by some papers as a smear

00:13:07.549 --> 00:13:10.720
campaign. But it made him the frontrunner. Then

00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:13.559
the general election. His VP pick was a bit of

00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:15.899
a surprise, wasn't it? Dick Cheney. It was. A

00:13:15.899 --> 00:13:18.519
real seasoned Washington insider, former White

00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:20.320
House chief of staff, congressman, secretary

00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:23.139
of defense. And Cheney had been leading Bush's

00:13:23.139 --> 00:13:25.899
own VP search committee. Exactly. A bit ironic.

00:13:26.259 --> 00:13:29.360
They were nominated at the 2000 RNC. Bush then

00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:32.179
sharply criticized Al Gore, his opponent, particularly

00:13:32.179 --> 00:13:35.039
on gun control and taxes. Setting up that clear

00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:37.100
ideological contrast. Definitely. And then the

00:13:37.100 --> 00:13:40.389
election itself. one of the most disputed, controversial

00:13:40.389 --> 00:13:41.950
victories in American history. Oh, absolutely.

00:13:42.230 --> 00:13:44.610
November 7th, the initial returns showed Bush

00:13:44.610 --> 00:13:46.789
winning Florida, giving him the presidency. But

00:13:46.789 --> 00:13:49.230
it was incredibly close, razor -thin margin.

00:13:49.389 --> 00:13:52.029
So close, it triggered an automatic recount under

00:13:52.029 --> 00:13:54.370
Florida law. The initial machine recount still

00:13:54.370 --> 00:13:56.889
favored Bush, but then it just descended into

00:13:56.889 --> 00:13:58.950
legal battles for a month. All the way to the

00:13:58.950 --> 00:14:01.769
U .S. Supreme Court. And on December 9th, the

00:14:01.769 --> 00:14:04.370
court issued that highly controversial Bush v.

00:14:04.409 --> 00:14:06.269
Gore ruling. It reversed the Florida Supreme

00:14:06.269 --> 00:14:09.110
Court's order for a statewide hand recount. Their

00:14:09.110 --> 00:14:11.129
argument was that using different standards in

00:14:11.129 --> 00:14:13.269
different counties violated the Equal Protection

00:14:13.269 --> 00:14:17.350
Clause. So the machine recount stood. Bush won

00:14:17.350 --> 00:14:21.419
Florida by just 537 votes. Out of nearly 6 million

00:14:21.419 --> 00:14:23.980
cast, incredible. And despite getting over half

00:14:23.980 --> 00:14:26.379
a million fewer popular votes nationwide than

00:14:26.379 --> 00:14:29.720
Gore. He won the election with 271 electoral

00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:33.779
votes to Gore's 266. Making him the first president

00:14:33.779 --> 00:14:36.919
since Benjamin Harrison in 1888 to win with fewer

00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:39.179
popular votes. Which immediately raises that

00:14:39.179 --> 00:14:42.360
crucial question. How did such a contentious

00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:45.460
win, losing the popular vote, shape the narrative

00:14:45.460 --> 00:14:47.919
and the immediate challenges for his administration?

00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:50.039
That legitimacy question lingered, didn't it?

00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:52.240
Even after the Supreme Court decision. Absolutely.

00:14:52.580 --> 00:14:55.139
It profoundly influenced how his presidency was

00:14:55.139 --> 00:14:57.480
perceived right from day one. Okay, fast forward

00:14:57.480 --> 00:15:01.759
four years to 2004. His re -election bid. A very

00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:04.500
different scenario this time. He commanded broad

00:15:04.500 --> 00:15:07.059
support within the Republican Party, no primary

00:15:07.059 --> 00:15:09.980
challenge. Can Millman manage the campaign? Karl

00:15:09.980 --> 00:15:13.340
Rove devising strategy. And the platform emphasized

00:15:13.340 --> 00:15:15.620
strong commitment to the ongoing wars in Iraq

00:15:15.620 --> 00:15:18.659
and Afghanistan, support for the Patriot Act.

00:15:18.940 --> 00:15:21.519
A push for constitutional amendments on abortion

00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:24.259
and same -sex marriage. Reforming Social Security

00:15:24.259 --> 00:15:26.899
with private accounts, creating an ownership

00:15:26.899 --> 00:15:29.740
society, opposing mandatory carbon controls.

00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:32.799
But also, interestingly, calling for that guest

00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:35.899
worker program for immigrants. Yeah, which actually

00:15:35.899 --> 00:15:38.500
drew criticism from some conservatives within

00:15:38.500 --> 00:15:40.899
his own party. The campaign dynamics in 2004

00:15:40.899 --> 00:15:44.399
were incredibly intense. Oh, very. The Bush campaign

00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:46.720
advertised heavily against Democrats, mainly

00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:49.340
Senator John Kerry, who became the nominee. Kerry

00:15:49.340 --> 00:15:52.159
and Democrats attacked Bush on Iraq, the economy,

00:15:52.259 --> 00:15:54.779
job growth. And the Bush campaign painted Kerry

00:15:54.779 --> 00:15:57.340
as a staunch liberal, attacking his perceived

00:15:57.340 --> 00:16:00.019
inconsistencies on the Iraq war, questioning

00:16:00.019 --> 00:16:02.320
his decisiveness for the war on terror. There

00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:04.519
was also that controversy surrounding the CIA

00:16:04.519 --> 00:16:08.039
leadership around them. Right. George Tenet resigned.

00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:12.059
Bush nominated Porter Goss. Reports surfaced

00:16:12.059 --> 00:16:14.740
that the White House ordered Goss to purge officers

00:16:14.740 --> 00:16:17.980
deemed disloyal. Leading to many senior agents

00:16:17.980 --> 00:16:20.820
being fired or quitting. Accusations even flew

00:16:20.820 --> 00:16:23.580
about the CIA leaking info to influence the election.

00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:26.679
Despite all that and the charged climate, the

00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:28.919
election outcome was a clear victory for Bush

00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:32.899
this time. Carried 31 states. 286 electoral votes.

00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:35.320
And crucially, he won an absolute majority of

00:16:35.320 --> 00:16:38.440
the popular vote, 50 .7 percent to Kerry's 48

00:16:38.440 --> 00:16:40.820
.3. Effectively correcting that popular vote

00:16:40.820 --> 00:16:43.220
deficit from 2000. Which is fascinating, right?

00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:45.539
That shift from a contested popular vote loss

00:16:45.539 --> 00:16:48.620
to a clear popular vote win amidst ongoing wars

00:16:48.620 --> 00:16:50.899
and intense domestic debates. It really demonstrates

00:16:50.899 --> 00:16:53.320
an evolution in his political appeal. Maybe how

00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:55.460
he navigated a deeply divided nation in those

00:16:55.460 --> 00:16:57.919
extraordinary times. Rallied support around his

00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:00.440
leadership in a crisis period. OK, now we are

00:17:00.299 --> 00:17:04.220
at the presidency itself, 2001 to 2009, a period

00:17:04.220 --> 00:17:07.079
just unequivocally defined by crisis, policy,

00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:09.059
and controversy. Absolutely. He came in with

00:17:09.059 --> 00:17:11.279
an ambitious domestic agenda, but his priorities

00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:14.500
were, as sources say, significantly altered after

00:17:14.500 --> 00:17:17.210
9 -11. Fundamentally altered. His presidency

00:17:17.210 --> 00:17:20.529
became largely defined by the wars in Afghanistan

00:17:20.529 --> 00:17:23.630
and Iraq. And huge domestic debates, too. Immigration,

00:17:23.910 --> 00:17:26.269
health care, Social Security, economic policy,

00:17:26.630 --> 00:17:28.670
treatment of detainees. His approval ratings

00:17:28.670 --> 00:17:31.690
were a roller coaster. Started near 60 percent.

00:17:31.869 --> 00:17:35.339
Surged to 90 percent after 9 -11. but then began

00:17:35.339 --> 00:17:38.559
that steady decline, hitting lows like 19 % by

00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:40.599
the end of his second term. And adding to all

00:17:40.599 --> 00:17:44.299
that, the U .S. entered the longest post -WWII

00:17:44.299 --> 00:17:48.500
recession in December 2007. Just further complicating

00:17:48.500 --> 00:17:50.960
those final years? Scholars often call this period

00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:53.619
the most transformative of his presidency, that

00:17:53.619 --> 00:17:56.440
immediate, profound pivot from domestic policy

00:17:56.440 --> 00:17:59.039
to national security post -9 -11. It reshaped

00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:01.769
everything. dictated key decisions, ultimately

00:18:01.769 --> 00:18:04.450
defined much of his legacy. And shifted the fiscal

00:18:04.450 --> 00:18:07.349
landscape, too, from surplus to significant debt

00:18:07.349 --> 00:18:09.930
due to war costs and tax cuts. Let's delve into

00:18:09.930 --> 00:18:11.950
that domestic policy landscape, starting with

00:18:11.950 --> 00:18:15.170
the economy, 2001 to 2008. He took office during

00:18:15.170 --> 00:18:17.730
a recession, remember? The dot -com bubble had

00:18:17.730 --> 00:18:20.109
burst, then 9 -11 hit the economy hard, too.

00:18:20.250 --> 00:18:22.430
And his administration saw a massive increase

00:18:22.430 --> 00:18:26.390
in federal spending, up 66 % overall. While revenues

00:18:26.390 --> 00:18:30.160
increased much slower, about 24%. Defense spending

00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:33.079
more than doubled. Domestic spending, Medicare,

00:18:33.380 --> 00:18:36.619
Social Security, all saw huge increases. More

00:18:36.619 --> 00:18:38.980
spending increase than any president since LBJ,

00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:41.180
apparently. A central pillar of his economic

00:18:41.180 --> 00:18:44.099
plan was those big tax cuts. The government actually

00:18:44.099 --> 00:18:48.319
had a surplus in 2000. $237 billion. His budget

00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:51.140
initially projected a $5 .6 trillion surplus

00:18:51.140 --> 00:18:53.619
over 10 years. But he successfully pushed for

00:18:53.619 --> 00:18:56.920
that $1 .35 trillion tax cut program, one of

00:18:56.920 --> 00:19:00.099
the largest ever. Arguing the surplus was the

00:19:00.099 --> 00:19:02.299
people's money. Despite warnings from Fed Chair

00:19:02.299 --> 00:19:04.819
Alan Greenspan about a recession, Bush argued

00:19:04.819 --> 00:19:07.180
the cuts would stimulate the economy. Another

00:19:07.180 --> 00:19:10.000
cut passed in 2003. In terms of actual economic

00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:12.220
performance, while GDP growth averaged around

00:19:12.220 --> 00:19:14.619
2 .1 percent annually, which was less than past

00:19:14.619 --> 00:19:17.279
cycles. And the stock market started high, peaked

00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:19.759
in 07, then plummeted by the end of his term.

00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:21.740
One of only a few presidents to leave the market

00:19:21.740 --> 00:19:24.279
lower. The fiscal consequences were pretty stark.

00:19:24.539 --> 00:19:26.640
That projected surplus vanished, replaced by

00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:29.119
significant deficits and soaring national debt.

00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:31.500
Gross debt more than doubled from 2000 to late

00:19:31.500 --> 00:19:35.299
2008, hitting $11 .3 trillion. Largely attributed

00:19:35.299 --> 00:19:37.779
to those tax cuts and increased national security

00:19:37.779 --> 00:19:40.660
spending. Even then, Senator Obama criticized

00:19:40.660 --> 00:19:43.420
raising the debt ceiling in 06 as a sign of leadership

00:19:43.420 --> 00:19:46.339
failure. Unemployment fluctuated, rose, fell,

00:19:46.700 --> 00:19:50.019
then climbed again to 7 .2 % by the end. Immediate

00:19:50.019 --> 00:19:52.619
household income actually dropped, adjusted for

00:19:52.619 --> 00:19:55.059
inflation, and poverty increased. And then came

00:19:55.059 --> 00:19:58.900
the 2008 financial crisis. December 2007. The

00:19:58.900 --> 00:20:01.920
start of the longest recession since WWII, triggered

00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:04.500
by the housing market correction, subprime mortgages,

00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:07.619
soaring oil prices. The impact on jobs was devastating.

00:20:07.940 --> 00:20:09.819
Hundreds of thousands lost each month in late

00:20:09.819 --> 00:20:13.700
2008, 2 .6 million jobs lost by year end. The

00:20:13.700 --> 00:20:16.660
administration responded with a 170 billion dollar

00:20:16.660 --> 00:20:19.400
stimulus package rebate checks, tax breaks. Though,

00:20:19.539 --> 00:20:21.500
interestingly, they had pushed for more regulation

00:20:21.500 --> 00:20:24.359
of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac back in 2003. But

00:20:24.359 --> 00:20:26.779
it died in the Senate. Concerns about government

00:20:26.779 --> 00:20:28.920
intervention. The crisis escalated dramatically

00:20:28.920 --> 00:20:31.460
in September 08. Federal takeover of Fannie and

00:20:31.460 --> 00:20:33.819
Freddie, Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, the AIG

00:20:33.819 --> 00:20:35.680
bailout. Declared the worst financial crisis

00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:37.599
since the Great Depression. The administration

00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:39.900
then proposed TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief

00:20:39.900 --> 00:20:42.819
Program. That massive rescue plan to buy up toxic

00:20:42.819 --> 00:20:45.859
mortgage assets. Some later argued more proactive

00:20:45.859 --> 00:20:48.220
regulatory oversight could have helped. Okay,

00:20:48.599 --> 00:20:51.039
shifting gears slightly. Education and public

00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:53.660
health initiatives. He pursued several educational

00:20:53.660 --> 00:20:57.279
agendas. increased funding for NSF and NIH initially,

00:20:57.539 --> 00:21:00.460
though NIH faced later cuts, focused on science

00:21:00.460 --> 00:21:03.259
and math education. And a cornerstone was No

00:21:03.259 --> 00:21:06.619
Child Left Behind in CLBA, signed early 2002

00:21:06.619 --> 00:21:09.680
with broad bipartisan support, even Ted Kennedy.

00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:12.789
Right. Aim to measure and close achievement gaps,

00:21:13.210 --> 00:21:15.509
give options to students in low -performing schools,

00:21:15.809 --> 00:21:18.369
target funding to low -income schools. Supporters

00:21:18.369 --> 00:21:20.529
cited score improvements. Critics argued it was

00:21:20.529 --> 00:21:22.549
underfunded, and the focus on high -stakes testing

00:21:22.549 --> 00:21:24.710
was counterproductive. In public health, they

00:21:24.710 --> 00:21:27.349
launched a national strategy for pandemic influenza

00:21:27.349 --> 00:21:29.930
in 2005. And after re -election, he signed the

00:21:29.930 --> 00:21:33.369
Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, created Medicare

00:21:33.369 --> 00:21:35.809
Part D, the prescription drug benefit. hailed

00:21:35.809 --> 00:21:38.390
by some as the greatest expansion in America's

00:21:38.390 --> 00:21:40.789
welfare state in 40 years, though with massive

00:21:40.789 --> 00:21:44.349
projected costs. AARP endorsed it. Bush said

00:21:44.349 --> 00:21:46.829
it gave seniors better choices. But he later

00:21:46.829 --> 00:21:49.750
vetoed the SCIP expansion for children's health

00:21:49.750 --> 00:21:52.410
care, argued it was a move toward socialized

00:21:52.410 --> 00:21:55.390
medicine. And he signed GINA in 2008, protecting

00:21:55.390 --> 00:21:57.970
against genetic discrimination in insurance and

00:21:57.970 --> 00:21:59.750
employment. On Social Security reform? Yeah.

00:21:59.930 --> 00:22:02.289
That was a major push at the start of the second

00:22:02.289 --> 00:22:04.690
term. Yeah. Facing record deficit projections,

00:22:04.829 --> 00:22:07.250
he made it the centerpiece of his domestic agenda,

00:22:07.390 --> 00:22:09.910
despite big congressional opposition. Talked

00:22:09.910 --> 00:22:12.549
about potential bankruptcy, proposed partial

00:22:12.549 --> 00:22:15.509
privatization, personal accounts diverting payroll

00:22:15.509 --> 00:22:18.309
taxes into investments. Democrats strongly opposed.

00:22:18.410 --> 00:22:21.250
He went on that 60 -day national tour, conversations

00:22:21.250 --> 00:22:23.970
on Social Security. But support declined, didn't

00:22:23.970 --> 00:22:27.130
it? And House Republicans dropped it. Then Hurricane

00:22:27.130 --> 00:22:29.519
Katrina hit. further diminishing his prospects.

00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:32.619
Environmental and energy policies also generated

00:22:32.619 --> 00:22:35.059
a lot of debate. Right at the start, he opposed

00:22:35.059 --> 00:22:37.579
the Kyoto Protocol. Citing exemptions for many

00:22:37.579 --> 00:22:39.579
countries, costs, concerns, and the fact the

00:22:39.579 --> 00:22:42.099
Senate had already voted 95's otters against

00:22:42.099 --> 00:22:44.420
it years earlier. Signed orders to streamline

00:22:44.420 --> 00:22:47.039
energy projects. Proposed the Clear Skies Act

00:22:47.039 --> 00:22:50.299
in 2003 for emissions trading. But critics argued

00:22:50.299 --> 00:22:52.799
it would weaken the Clean Air Act. It failed

00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:55.900
in committee. But then, In a move praised by

00:22:55.900 --> 00:22:58.779
conservationists, he created that huge Papahana

00:22:58.779 --> 00:23:01.220
Makuaquia Marine National Monument in Hawaii

00:23:01.220 --> 00:23:04.420
in 2006. Protecting millions of acres, thousands

00:23:04.420 --> 00:23:07.420
of species, hailed for foresight and leadership.

00:23:07.619 --> 00:23:10.019
On climate change itself, he acknowledged global

00:23:10.019 --> 00:23:12.480
warming was real and serious, but questioned

00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:16.180
the cause, manmade or naturally caused. His administration

00:23:16.180 --> 00:23:18.859
faced criticism for allegedly misinforming the

00:23:18.859 --> 00:23:20.880
public, not doing enough on carbon emissions.

00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:23.880
Energy -wise, 2006 State of the Union declared

00:23:23.880 --> 00:23:26.619
America is addicted to oil, launched the Advanced

00:23:26.619 --> 00:23:29.180
Energy Initiative for research. Renewed pledges

00:23:29.180 --> 00:23:32.619
in 2007 to cut fossil fuel use, boost alternatives,

00:23:33.380 --> 00:23:35.220
lifted the executive ban on offshore drilling

00:23:35.220 --> 00:23:37.799
in 2008 amid high gas prices. Though that was

00:23:37.799 --> 00:23:40.200
largely symbolic, stressed the need for domestic

00:23:40.200 --> 00:23:42.700
production, and in 2008 committed $2 billion

00:23:42.700 --> 00:23:45.140
to an international clean energy fund. Another

00:23:45.140 --> 00:23:48.380
big domestic debate, stem cell research. Right.

00:23:48.589 --> 00:23:52.049
He supported adult stem cell research, but opposed

00:23:52.049 --> 00:23:55.089
embryonic stem cell research, especially federal

00:23:55.089 --> 00:23:57.730
funding involving embryo destruction, which was

00:23:57.730 --> 00:23:59.650
already banned by the Dickie -Wicker Amendment.

00:23:59.910 --> 00:24:03.049
In August 2001, he signed that order, lifting

00:24:03.049 --> 00:24:06.430
the ban for 71 existing stem cell lines. But

00:24:06.430 --> 00:24:08.529
scientists questioned if those lines were adequate,

00:24:08.890 --> 00:24:10.690
and there were safety concerns about how they

00:24:10.690 --> 00:24:14.369
were cultured. Then... July 2006, he used his

00:24:14.369 --> 00:24:17.109
first ever veto to reject the Stem Cell Research

00:24:17.109 --> 00:24:19.390
Enhancement Act. Which would have repealed Dickie

00:24:19.390 --> 00:24:21.289
Wicker and allowed federal funding for research

00:24:21.289 --> 00:24:24.130
using destroyed embryos. A significant stand

00:24:24.130 --> 00:24:26.289
for him. Immigration debates were also front

00:24:26.289 --> 00:24:29.130
and center. Huge influx of immigrants. Nearly

00:24:29.130 --> 00:24:32.839
half illegal. from 2000, 2005. In 2006, Bush

00:24:32.839 --> 00:24:35.579
pushed Congress for that temporary guest worker

00:24:35.579 --> 00:24:38.000
program for the millions already here. Also sought

00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:40.240
more border security funds, deployed the National

00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:43.859
Guard. Then in 2007, he strongly backed the Comprehensive

00:24:43.859 --> 00:24:46.440
Immigration Reform Act, a bipartisan effort.

00:24:46.599 --> 00:24:49.200
Really ambitious. Legalization path, guest worker

00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:51.460
program, border enforcement, green card reforms.

00:24:51.740 --> 00:24:54.259
Bush argued it was necessary that lack of legal

00:24:54.259 --> 00:24:58.240
status hurt millions penalized employers, insisted

00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:01.079
it wasn't amnesty. But it caused a massive rift

00:25:01.079 --> 00:25:03.859
in the Republican Party. Most conservatives hated

00:25:03.859 --> 00:25:06.920
the legalization parts. The bill died in the

00:25:06.920 --> 00:25:09.400
Senate. Bush expressed disappointment. His administration

00:25:09.400 --> 00:25:11.799
then focused on enforcement measures not needing

00:25:11.799 --> 00:25:14.839
legislation. And that interesting claim later

00:25:14.839 --> 00:25:17.579
by Israeli PM Omer about Bush offering to take

00:25:17.579 --> 00:25:21.000
100 ,000 Palestinian refugees if a peace deal

00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:24.859
was reached. Wow. Then Hurricane Katrina, August

00:25:24.859 --> 00:25:28.500
2005, a truly catastrophic event. devastated

00:25:28.500 --> 00:25:30.660
the Gulf Coast, especially New Orleans, after

00:25:30.660 --> 00:25:32.980
the levees failed. Bush declared emergencies,

00:25:33.539 --> 00:25:36.259
authorized FEMA aid. DHS Secretary Chertoff declared

00:25:36.259 --> 00:25:38.660
it an incident of national significance. National

00:25:38.660 --> 00:25:41.579
Guard went in, Bush toured, said recovery efforts

00:25:41.579 --> 00:25:43.799
were not enough, but the criticism was swift

00:25:43.799 --> 00:25:45.880
and brutal. For the inadequate response, right,

00:25:46.059 --> 00:25:48.960
allegations of incompetent FEMA leadership, resources

00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:51.420
devoted to Iraq. Critics said he didn't act on

00:25:51.420 --> 00:25:54.000
warnings. Amidst it all, Bush publicly accepted

00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:56.400
full responsibility for the federal government's

00:25:56.400 --> 00:25:59.059
failures. Many argue Catrino was a political

00:25:59.059 --> 00:26:02.140
tipping point for him. Public perception shifted

00:26:02.140 --> 00:26:05.539
dramatically. Absolutely. Later in 2006 came

00:26:05.539 --> 00:26:07.720
the controversy over the midterm dismissal of

00:26:07.720 --> 00:26:10.599
U .S. attorneys. Seven of them fired. The White

00:26:10.599 --> 00:26:12.660
House said it was for poor performance. But it

00:26:12.660 --> 00:26:15.200
led to Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez resigning,

00:26:15.339 --> 00:26:17.799
along with others. Congress subpoenaed White

00:26:17.799 --> 00:26:21.019
House aides Mears and Bolton. Bush invoked executive

00:26:21.019 --> 00:26:23.920
privilege, told them not to testify. Justice

00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:26.460
Department backed him legally. Investigations

00:26:26.460 --> 00:26:28.660
focused on whether the positions were used for

00:26:28.660 --> 00:26:31.240
political advantage. Officials resign rather

00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:34.240
than testify. Mears and Bolton held in contempt

00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:37.359
of Congress. Years later, a DOJ investigator

00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:40.519
concluded, politics played a part in some firings,

00:26:40.940 --> 00:26:43.400
calling them inappropriately political, but found

00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:45.660
insufficient evidence for criminal charges. So

00:26:45.660 --> 00:26:48.079
looking back at this whole domestic policy period,

00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:51.880
Massive tax cuts, no child left behind, then

00:26:51.880 --> 00:26:54.559
Katrina, the financial crisis. It was just a

00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:57.519
whirlwind of ambition, achievement and incredibly

00:26:57.519 --> 00:27:00.380
intense criticism. These issues were so complex,

00:27:00.440 --> 00:27:02.299
so charged, you can see how they shaped public

00:27:02.299 --> 00:27:04.859
opinion. Definitely. Now, shifting to foreign

00:27:04.859 --> 00:27:08.019
policy. Before 9 -11, his platform was interesting,

00:27:08.279 --> 00:27:10.160
stronger ties with Latin America, especially

00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:13.160
Mexico, less nation building. Pursued missile

00:27:13.160 --> 00:27:16.059
defense, advocated for China joining the WTO.

00:27:16.220 --> 00:27:19.000
In his second term, the emphasis shifted to improving

00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:21.799
relations with European nations. Appointed Karen

00:27:21.799 --> 00:27:25.059
Hughes for global PR, lauded pro -democracy movements

00:27:25.059 --> 00:27:27.559
in Georgia, Ukraine. He had some significant

00:27:27.559 --> 00:27:30.480
international engagements. That 2006 trip to

00:27:30.480 --> 00:27:33.240
India was a big deal. Focused on nuclear energy,

00:27:33.480 --> 00:27:36.359
counterterrorism led to the civil nuclear agreement,

00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:39.259
a real shift from Clinton's approach after India's

00:27:39.259 --> 00:27:42.119
nuclear tests. With Russia signed the sort treaty,

00:27:42.160 --> 00:27:44.640
but also withdrew the U .S. from the ABM treaty.

00:27:52.159 --> 00:27:55.660
On Israel and Palestinians, he took a careful

00:27:55.660 --> 00:27:58.599
line. Denounced Arafat for supporting violence,

00:27:59.019 --> 00:28:01.539
but sponsored dialogues between Sharon and Abbas.

00:28:02.059 --> 00:28:04.079
Supported Sharon's disengagement plan. After

00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:07.180
that 2001 Hanen Island incident with China, he

00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:10.160
voiced support for Taiwan's defense, authorized

00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:12.460
interventions in Haiti and Liberia to protect

00:28:12.460 --> 00:28:15.079
U .S. interests, condemned Darfur killings as

00:28:15.079 --> 00:28:18.799
genocide, but opposed ICC referral. And then

00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:22.940
Albania. That 2007 visit was remarkable. First

00:28:22.940 --> 00:28:25.640
U .S. president to visit. greeted with incredible

00:28:25.640 --> 00:28:28.839
enthusiasm. Street named after him, statue unveiled.

00:28:29.319 --> 00:28:31.619
He voiced strong support for Kosovo's independence

00:28:31.619 --> 00:28:34.240
there, which pleased Albanians, but strained

00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:36.960
relations with Serbia, contributing to the embassy

00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:39.599
torching in Belgrade. He also pushed hard for

00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:42.980
Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO in 2008, despite

00:28:42.980 --> 00:28:45.579
Russian opposition, condemned Russia's actions

00:28:45.579 --> 00:28:47.799
during the Georgia crisis that summer, famously

00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:50.299
saying bullying and intimidation are not acceptable

00:28:50.299 --> 00:28:52.619
ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century.

00:28:52.759 --> 00:28:54.640
But of course, the defining moment the absolute

00:28:54.640 --> 00:28:57.740
turning point was September 11, 2001. The attacks

00:28:57.740 --> 00:29:00.720
just decisively reshaped everything, pivoted

00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:02.960
the entire administration toward national security.

00:29:03.079 --> 00:29:05.019
That evening, he addressed the nation, promised

00:29:05.019 --> 00:29:07.900
a strong response, emphasized unity. Three days

00:29:07.900 --> 00:29:10.940
later, visited ground zero. That iconic image

00:29:10.940 --> 00:29:12.880
standing on the rubble with the megaphone. I

00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:14.859
can hear you. The rest of the world hears you.

00:29:15.079 --> 00:29:16.579
And the people who knock these buildings down

00:29:16.579 --> 00:29:19.380
will hear all of us soon. Powerful moment. Then

00:29:19.380 --> 00:29:22.009
the September 20 speech. condemning Bin Laden,

00:29:22.210 --> 00:29:24.630
al -Qaeda, issuing the ultimatum to the Taliban

00:29:24.630 --> 00:29:27.630
in Afghanistan. Hand over the terrorists or share

00:29:27.630 --> 00:29:30.410
in their fate. The Taliban refused. It's worth

00:29:30.410 --> 00:29:32.490
noting the presence of U .S. troops in Saudi

00:29:32.490 --> 00:29:35.269
Arabia post -Gulf War was a stated motivation

00:29:35.269 --> 00:29:37.930
for 9 -11. The U .S. withdrew most troops from

00:29:37.930 --> 00:29:40.930
there in 2003. Yeah, 9 -11 truly altered his

00:29:40.930 --> 00:29:43.690
presidency's trajectory. That ground zero moment

00:29:43.690 --> 00:29:46.349
became symbolic of his early crisis leadership,

00:29:46.349 --> 00:29:49.160
and it led directly to the war on terror. His

00:29:49.160 --> 00:29:51.740
September 20 speech declared it begins with al

00:29:51.740 --> 00:29:54.440
-Qaeda, but it does not end there. Then the 2002

00:29:54.440 --> 00:29:57.059
State of the Union address introduced the axis

00:29:57.059 --> 00:30:00.740
of evil. North Korea, Iran, Ba 'athist, Iraq,

00:30:01.119 --> 00:30:03.599
arming to threaten the peace, posing a grave

00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:06.279
and growing danger. And the administration asserted

00:30:06.279 --> 00:30:09.420
that right, that intention to wage preemptive

00:30:09.420 --> 00:30:11.920
war, preventative war, the Bush doctrine. Aimed

00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:14.359
at protecting the U .S. But it definitely weakened

00:30:14.359 --> 00:30:17.589
that initial post 9 -11 international support,

00:30:17.690 --> 00:30:20.069
didn't it? It did. As the Iraq War continued,

00:30:20.529 --> 00:30:23.109
dissent and criticism grew, protests erupted

00:30:23.109 --> 00:30:26.869
worldwide. That 2006 national intelligence estimate

00:30:26.869 --> 00:30:29.150
concluded the war had become a cause celeb for

00:30:29.150 --> 00:30:31.609
jihadists. Fueling recruitment, essentially.

00:30:31.849 --> 00:30:33.890
That was the argument. The Afghanistan invasion

00:30:33.890 --> 00:30:37.250
began quickly, October 7, 2001. U .S. and British

00:30:37.250 --> 00:30:39.410
bombing campaigns. Northern Alliance troops entered

00:30:39.410 --> 00:30:42.660
Kabul by November. Goals? Defeat Taliban, drive

00:30:42.660 --> 00:30:45.759
out al -Qaeda, capture leaders. By December 2001,

00:30:45.940 --> 00:30:48.220
the Pentagon reported the Taliban largely defeated,

00:30:48.220 --> 00:30:50.900
but the war would continue. The UN installed

00:30:50.900 --> 00:30:53.440
the Afghan Transitional Administration. But a

00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:55.960
major setback was bin Laden escaping from Tora

00:30:55.960 --> 00:30:58.900
Bora in December 2001. Which the administration

00:30:58.900 --> 00:31:01.380
later admitted was due to failure to commit enough

00:31:01.380 --> 00:31:04.339
U .S. ground troops. He wasn't killed until 2011.

00:31:04.559 --> 00:31:06.900
And despite initial success in Afghanistan, by

00:31:06.900 --> 00:31:10.579
early 2003, the Taliban was regrouping. The insurgency

00:31:10.579 --> 00:31:13.779
grew. operations like Red Wings failed in 2005.

00:31:14.359 --> 00:31:17.759
By 2006, the Taliban seemed larger, fiercer,

00:31:17.920 --> 00:31:20.539
and better organized. Leading Bush to send 3

00:31:20.539 --> 00:31:23.980
,500 more troops in March 2007, a sign of the

00:31:23.980 --> 00:31:26.259
growing challenge there. Which brings us to the

00:31:26.259 --> 00:31:29.319
incredibly consequential Iraq invasion in 2003.

00:31:29.960 --> 00:31:32.660
Starting with that O2 State of the Union, Bush

00:31:32.660 --> 00:31:36.160
focused on Iraq. Part of the Axis of Evil, possessing

00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:39.859
WMDs, posing that grave and growing danger. Late

00:31:39.859 --> 00:31:43.599
2002, CIA reports asserted Saddam intended to

00:31:43.599 --> 00:31:46.240
reconstitute nuclear programs, hadn't accounted

00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:48.559
for biochem weapons. And this became a huge point

00:31:48.559 --> 00:31:50.759
of criticism. Later contentions the administration

00:31:50.759 --> 00:31:54.019
manipulated or exaggerated the WMD threat in

00:31:54.019 --> 00:31:57.019
evidence. Late 02, early 03 Bush pushed the UN

00:31:57.019 --> 00:31:59.990
to enforce disarmament mandates. Diplomatic crisis

00:31:59.990 --> 00:32:02.369
ensued. U .N. weapons inspectors were advised

00:32:02.369 --> 00:32:05.029
by the U .S. to leave just days before the invasion,

00:32:05.190 --> 00:32:07.769
despite wanting more time. The U .S. dropped

00:32:07.769 --> 00:32:10.289
its bid for a U .N. resolution authorizing force

00:32:10.289 --> 00:32:12.750
due to strong opposition. And the administration's

00:32:12.750 --> 00:32:14.650
claim the Iraq war was part of the war on terror

00:32:14.650 --> 00:32:16.849
was questioned by many analysts. Nevertheless,

00:32:17.029 --> 00:32:19.609
March 20, 2003, the coalition of the willing

00:32:19.609 --> 00:32:22.089
over 20 nations led by the U .S. and U .K. invaded

00:32:22.089 --> 00:32:24.450
Iraq. The Iraqi military was quickly defeated.

00:32:24.950 --> 00:32:29.059
Baghdad fell April 9. May 1, 2003. Bush declared

00:32:29.059 --> 00:32:31.680
the end of major combat operations under that

00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:34.319
mission accomplished banner. Boosted his popularity

00:32:34.319 --> 00:32:36.579
initially, but that speech was later heavily

00:32:36.579 --> 00:32:38.859
criticized as premature. As U .S. and allied

00:32:38.859 --> 00:32:41.859
forces faced a growing brutal insurgency led

00:32:41.859 --> 00:32:45.759
by sectarian groups. From 2004 to 2007, the situation

00:32:45.759 --> 00:32:48.660
deteriorated. Some called it a full -scale civil

00:32:48.660 --> 00:32:51.980
war. Criticism mounted, demands for troop withdrawal

00:32:51.980 --> 00:32:55.119
grew. The 2006 Iraq study group report called

00:32:55.119 --> 00:32:58.339
the situation grave and deteriorating. Bush admitted

00:32:58.339 --> 00:33:00.440
strategic mistakes but maintained he wouldn't

00:33:00.440 --> 00:33:03.160
change the overall strategy. Hundreds of thousands

00:33:03.160 --> 00:33:05.859
of Iraqis died. Amidst the violence, there were

00:33:05.859 --> 00:33:08.259
steps toward a new government. Elections in January

00:33:08.259 --> 00:33:12.170
2005. First free elections in 50 years. led to

00:33:12.170 --> 00:33:15.349
Taliban as president, al -Maliki as PM. A constitution

00:33:15.349 --> 00:33:17.529
was approved by referendum later that year. But

00:33:17.529 --> 00:33:20.809
challenges continued. January 2007, Bush announced

00:33:20.809 --> 00:33:24.549
the surge. 21 ,500 more troops, plus jobs programs,

00:33:24.730 --> 00:33:27.589
reconstruction funds. In May 07, he vetoed a

00:33:27.589 --> 00:33:30.730
bill setting a withdrawal deadline. By July 2008,

00:33:31.069 --> 00:33:32.980
troop deaths were at their lowest. Stability

00:33:32.980 --> 00:33:35.400
had increased somewhat, attributed to the surge,

00:33:35.819 --> 00:33:38.039
and Bush began withdrawing some forces. Then

00:33:38.039 --> 00:33:39.779
came that shoe -throwing incident during his

00:33:39.779 --> 00:33:42.799
last visit in December 2008. The Iraqi journalist

00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:45.619
yelling it was a farewell kiss for the widows

00:33:45.619 --> 00:33:48.819
and orphans. Bush ducked. Post -presidency, that

00:33:48.819 --> 00:33:51.119
2010 report claimed the administration made over

00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:54.099
900 false pretenses about the Iraqi threat to

00:33:54.099 --> 00:33:58.079
justify the war. So, connecting this back. The

00:33:58.079 --> 00:34:00.690
decisions around Iraq... the intelligence, the

00:34:00.690 --> 00:34:02.589
mission -accomplished moment, the surge that

00:34:02.589 --> 00:34:05.730
profoundly shaped his presidency, global politics,

00:34:06.410 --> 00:34:09.289
domestic trust. Absolutely. It raises huge questions

00:34:09.289 --> 00:34:11.670
about preemptive war, nation -building, and their

00:34:11.670 --> 00:34:13.690
long -term consequences. And alongside the wars

00:34:13.690 --> 00:34:15.989
came dramatic shifts in surveillance policy post

00:34:15.989 --> 00:34:18.909
-9 -11. Bush issued that executive order authorizing

00:34:18.909 --> 00:34:21.710
the President's surveillance program, NSA monitoring

00:34:21.710 --> 00:34:24.050
communications between suspected terrorists abroad

00:34:24.050 --> 00:34:26.250
and parties in the U .S. without a FISA warrant.

00:34:26.510 --> 00:34:29.139
A significant departure. DOJ initially questioned

00:34:29.139 --> 00:34:31.780
legality, but was reauthorized based on the authorization

00:34:31.780 --> 00:34:34.380
for use of military force. Ily controversial.

00:34:34.780 --> 00:34:37.219
Critics, the American Bar Association, argued

00:34:37.219 --> 00:34:41.139
it was illegal. A district court ruled it unconstitutional

00:34:41.139 --> 00:34:44.739
in 2006. But that was vacated on appeal due to

00:34:44.739 --> 00:34:48.179
lack of standing. January 2007, A .G. Gonzalez

00:34:48.179 --> 00:34:50.219
said it wouldn't be reauthorized by the president,

00:34:50.420 --> 00:34:53.119
would get judicial oversight. Then the NSA launched

00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:55.719
the replacement program, PRISM. Which wasn't

00:34:55.719 --> 00:34:58.800
revealed publicly until 2013. Related to this

00:34:58.800 --> 00:35:01.320
were the interrogation policies, the torture

00:35:01.320 --> 00:35:04.239
memos. Bush authorized the CIA to use enhanced

00:35:04.239 --> 00:35:07.380
interrogation techniques, EATs, including waterboarding.

00:35:07.739 --> 00:35:10.159
Critics, like Obama later, called it torture.

00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:13.960
Between 2002 -2003, the CIA deemed these legal

00:35:13.960 --> 00:35:16.760
based on secret DOJ opinions, arguing terror

00:35:16.760 --> 00:35:19.159
detainees weren't protected by Geneva Conventions,

00:35:19.639 --> 00:35:21.579
calling the ban an infringement on presidential

00:35:21.579 --> 00:35:24.400
war powers. The CIA used these techniques on

00:35:24.400 --> 00:35:26.460
key suspects under the authority of the Bybee

00:35:26.460 --> 00:35:28.840
memo, though that memo was later withdrawn. The

00:35:28.840 --> 00:35:31.260
Army field manuals actually forbid such tactics,

00:35:31.380 --> 00:35:33.900
stating they elicit unreliable information, but

00:35:33.900 --> 00:35:35.800
the Bush administration believed they provided

00:35:35.800 --> 00:35:38.480
critical information to save lives. Critics,

00:35:38.840 --> 00:35:41.780
like ex -CIA officer Bob Baer, said info obtained

00:35:41.780 --> 00:35:44.900
was suspect. You can get anyone to confess to

00:35:44.900 --> 00:35:47.389
anything if a torture is bad enough. October

00:35:47.389 --> 00:35:50.349
2006, Bush signed the Military Commissions Act,

00:35:50.889 --> 00:35:53.349
allowed prosecuting unlawful enemy combatants

00:35:53.349 --> 00:35:55.650
by military commission, not standard trials,

00:35:56.289 --> 00:35:59.150
denied habeas corpus, barred torture, but let

00:35:59.150 --> 00:36:02.130
the president define torture. Then in March 2008,

00:36:02.389 --> 00:36:04.650
he vetoed a bill to expand congressional oversight

00:36:04.650 --> 00:36:07.269
and ban techniques like waterboarding, not in

00:36:07.269 --> 00:36:09.369
the Army Field Manual, said it would take away

00:36:09.369 --> 00:36:13.000
a valuable tool. April 2009, the ACLU won release

00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:15.920
of secret memos authorizing the tactics. One

00:36:15.920 --> 00:36:18.019
detailed waterboarding, called it torture in

00:36:18.019 --> 00:36:20.980
a footnote, said the CIA's version was far more

00:36:20.980 --> 00:36:23.340
intense than DOJ authorized. So that balance

00:36:23.340 --> 00:36:25.400
between national security and civil liberties

00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:28.940
became a defining, intensely debated challenge

00:36:28.940 --> 00:36:31.639
of his presidency. Surveillance, interrogation.

00:36:32.099 --> 00:36:33.980
The controversy Reverberates today. It raises

00:36:33.980 --> 00:36:36.800
profound ethical, legal questions about executive

00:36:36.800 --> 00:36:39.260
power in wartime. Shifting focus again, North

00:36:39.260 --> 00:36:41.750
Korea. Bush publicly condemned Kim Jong -il,

00:36:41.869 --> 00:36:43.909
part of the Axis of Evil, said the U .S. wouldn't

00:36:43.909 --> 00:36:46.190
permit the world's most dangerous regimes to

00:36:46.190 --> 00:36:47.949
threaten us with the world's most destructive

00:36:47.949 --> 00:36:50.710
weapons. Both countries soon walked away from

00:36:50.710 --> 00:36:53.650
a 1994 agreement. North Korea's nuclear test

00:36:53.650 --> 00:36:57.090
in October 2006 complicated things further. Bush

00:36:57.090 --> 00:36:59.769
condemned it, reaffirmed commitment to a nuclear

00:36:59.769 --> 00:37:02.519
-free peninsula. warned that any transfer of

00:37:02.519 --> 00:37:04.599
nuclear material by North Korea would be considered

00:37:04.599 --> 00:37:07.780
a grave threat. But diplomacy did yield some

00:37:07.780 --> 00:37:11.219
temporary progress. May 2007, North Korea agreed

00:37:11.219 --> 00:37:13.380
to shut down reactors pending release of frozen

00:37:13.380 --> 00:37:16.400
funds after three -way talks with China. September

00:37:16.400 --> 00:37:19.119
07, they agreed to disclose and dismantle programs.

00:37:19.380 --> 00:37:21.739
But by May 2009, they had restarted the program,

00:37:22.179 --> 00:37:24.739
threatened South Korea. Post presidency, Bush

00:37:24.739 --> 00:37:27.219
continued to criticize their leadership. He also

00:37:27.219 --> 00:37:29.789
expanded economic sanctions on Syria. signed

00:37:29.789 --> 00:37:32.789
the Syria Accountability Act in 2003. Treasury

00:37:32.789 --> 00:37:35.710
later froze assets of Syrian institutions suspected

00:37:35.710 --> 00:37:39.329
of WMD proliferation supporting terrorism. Also

00:37:39.329 --> 00:37:42.070
froze assets of Lebanese Syrian figures accused

00:37:42.070 --> 00:37:44.789
of undermining Lebanon's political process. Okay.

00:37:45.130 --> 00:37:47.530
Amidst all these complex security and diplomatic

00:37:47.530 --> 00:37:50.269
issues, one truly remarkable achievement stands

00:37:50.269 --> 00:37:53.849
out on the foreign policy front. PEPFR, the president's

00:37:53.849 --> 00:37:56.559
emergency plan for AIDS relief. announced in

00:37:56.559 --> 00:38:00.599
his 2003 State of the Union, a five -year, $15

00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:03.960
billion strategy for global emergency AIDS relief.

00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:07.000
Directly supported life -saving antiretroviral

00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:10.420
treatment for millions worldwide. By 2013, the

00:38:10.420 --> 00:38:13.599
U .S. had spent about $44 billion, estimated

00:38:13.599 --> 00:38:16.860
to have saved 5 million lives. The New York Times

00:38:16.860 --> 00:38:19.340
correspondent Peter Baker wrote Bush did more

00:38:19.340 --> 00:38:21.579
to stop AIDS and more to help Africa than any

00:38:21.579 --> 00:38:24.639
president before or since. By 2023, PEPFAR was

00:38:24.639 --> 00:38:27.440
estimated to have saved over 25 million lives.

00:38:27.820 --> 00:38:30.059
Hugely impactful, especially in sub -Saharan

00:38:30.059 --> 00:38:32.059
Africa, often called his greatest accomplishment.

00:38:32.219 --> 00:38:33.900
And what's fascinating is the near -universal

00:38:33.900 --> 00:38:35.960
consensus on this across the political spectrum.

00:38:36.179 --> 00:38:38.639
It really stands out as a monumental humanitarian

00:38:38.639 --> 00:38:40.860
achievement, a testament to targeted foreign

00:38:40.860 --> 00:38:44.150
aid. It raises that question. How can such successes

00:38:44.150 --> 00:38:46.510
be replicated in other global health challenges,

00:38:46.610 --> 00:38:48.829
demonstrating leadership beyond military means?

00:38:49.190 --> 00:38:51.289
His presidency also had a few notable security

00:38:51.289 --> 00:38:53.510
incidents involving him personally. February

00:38:53.510 --> 00:38:56.070
2001, someone fired shots near the White House.

00:38:56.329 --> 00:38:59.829
Pickett was arrested. May 2005, that grenade

00:38:59.829 --> 00:39:02.829
attack in Tbilisi, Georgia. Thrown towards the

00:39:02.829 --> 00:39:05.710
podium near Bush and Saakashvili. Didn't detonate

00:39:05.710 --> 00:39:07.409
because it was wrapped tightly in a handkerchief.

00:39:08.070 --> 00:39:10.510
A salient arrested later, killed an agent during

00:39:10.510 --> 00:39:13.880
capture, got life. And the 2008 Baghdad shoe

00:39:13.880 --> 00:39:16.260
-throwing incident, of course. In terms of judicial

00:39:16.260 --> 00:39:19.059
appointments, he left a lasting impact, especially

00:39:19.059 --> 00:39:22.059
on the Supreme Court. July 2005, Justice O 'Connor

00:39:22.059 --> 00:39:25.840
retired. Bush nominated John Roberts. But then

00:39:25.840 --> 00:39:28.300
Chief Justice Rehnquist died in September. So

00:39:28.300 --> 00:39:30.880
Bush withdrew Roberts' nomination for O 'Connor

00:39:30.880 --> 00:39:33.239
seat, nominated him for Chief Justice instead,

00:39:33.780 --> 00:39:35.579
quickly confirmed. To fill O 'Connor's seat,

00:39:35.739 --> 00:39:37.900
he then nominated Harriet Myers, White House

00:39:37.900 --> 00:39:40.719
counsel. But she withdrew after facing significant

00:39:40.719 --> 00:39:43.280
opposition questioning her qualifications. Finally,

00:39:43.320 --> 00:39:47.059
October 2005, he nominated Samuel Alito. Confirmed

00:39:47.059 --> 00:39:50.039
January 2006. So two Supreme Court appointments,

00:39:50.360 --> 00:39:53.500
Roberts and Alito. Plus 62 judges to federal

00:39:53.500 --> 00:39:56.900
appeals courts and 261 to district courts. A

00:39:56.900 --> 00:39:58.960
significant judicial legacy. Let's talk about

00:39:58.960 --> 00:40:01.719
his cultural and political image. That folksy

00:40:01.719 --> 00:40:04.820
American cowboy persona. Yeah, his West Texas

00:40:04.820 --> 00:40:08.159
upbringing, the accent, vacations at the ranch.

00:40:08.480 --> 00:40:12.400
Country metaphors. It all contributed. Piers

00:40:12.400 --> 00:40:13.900
Morgan said people looked at him and thought,

00:40:13.940 --> 00:40:16.360
John Wayne. He was often parodied, wasn't he?

00:40:16.539 --> 00:40:19.480
For linguistic errors, the Bushisms. He was.

00:40:19.800 --> 00:40:22.119
Interestingly, compared to his father, who sometimes

00:40:22.119 --> 00:40:24.619
seemed to lack an overarching theme, George W.

00:40:24.659 --> 00:40:27.699
Bush embraced larger visions, was seen as a man

00:40:27.699 --> 00:40:30.619
of bigger ideas, bigger risks. And the perception

00:40:30.619 --> 00:40:33.440
of his intelligence. Tony Blair called the dumb

00:40:33.440 --> 00:40:36.960
caricature ludicrous, said Bush was very smart.

00:40:37.079 --> 00:40:39.719
David Brooks suggested he was 60 IQ points smarter

00:40:39.719 --> 00:40:42.039
in private. Put on a Texas act so people wouldn't

00:40:42.039 --> 00:40:43.960
think he was smarter than them. An interesting

00:40:43.960 --> 00:40:46.320
theory. His job approval ratings in the U .S.,

00:40:46.320 --> 00:40:48.340
as we said, were a real roller coaster. Started

00:40:48.340 --> 00:40:51.380
near 60 percent, soared to 90 percent after 9

00:40:51.380 --> 00:40:54.099
-11, stayed high for months, above 50 percent

00:40:54.099 --> 00:40:56.639
most of his first term, times person of the year

00:40:56.639 --> 00:40:59.519
twice. Strong Republican support initially, though

00:40:59.519 --> 00:41:01.659
it waned later over spending, immigration, Middle

00:41:01.659 --> 00:41:04.840
East issues. That 2004 survey shows strong support

00:41:04.840 --> 00:41:07.079
in the military. Approval surged again at the

00:41:07.079 --> 00:41:09.980
start of the Iraq War, 74 percent, but then began

00:41:09.980 --> 00:41:13.219
the steady decline after December 2004. Post

00:41:13.219 --> 00:41:16.340
-re -election, criticism mounted over Iraq, Katrina,

00:41:16.940 --> 00:41:19.400
prisoner abuse, NSA surveillance, Guantanamo.

00:41:19.659 --> 00:41:22.420
Democrats regained Congress in the 2006 midterms,

00:41:22.539 --> 00:41:25.659
the thumping, as Bush called it. His approval

00:41:25.659 --> 00:41:29.519
averaged just 37 % in 2006, lowest since Truman

00:41:29.519 --> 00:41:31.980
for a second -term president at that point, hovered

00:41:31.980 --> 00:41:35.059
in the mid -30s most of 2007. By early 2008,

00:41:35.440 --> 00:41:38.719
final year, it hit that low of 19%, largely losing

00:41:38.719 --> 00:41:41.019
Republican support. Leading to his tennis quote

00:41:41.019 --> 00:41:43.440
about not giving a damn about the polls, making

00:41:43.440 --> 00:41:45.480
decisions based on principle. There were even

00:41:45.480 --> 00:41:47.599
calls for impeachment. Though most polls showed

00:41:47.599 --> 00:41:49.639
Americans wouldn't support it. Arguments centered

00:41:49.639 --> 00:41:52.639
on NSA surveillance, Iraq justification, Geneva

00:41:52.639 --> 00:41:55.239
conventions. Dennis Kucinich introduced articles

00:41:55.239 --> 00:41:57.679
of impeachment, but Speaker Pelosi said it was

00:41:57.679 --> 00:42:00.500
off the table. April 2008, disapproval hit a

00:42:00.500 --> 00:42:03.199
record 69 percent in Gallup history. Just before

00:42:03.199 --> 00:42:05.340
the 2008 election, approval remained at record

00:42:05.340 --> 00:42:08.179
lows, 19, 20 percent. His final Gallup rating

00:42:08.179 --> 00:42:11.139
in Jan 09 was 34 percent, similar to Carter and

00:42:11.139 --> 00:42:14.360
Truman. A CBS NYT poll put it at 22 percent,

00:42:14.480 --> 00:42:16.300
lowest ever recorded for an outgoing president.

00:42:16.639 --> 00:42:19.179
While domestic perceptions struggled, Foreign

00:42:19.179 --> 00:42:22.360
perceptions were often even worse, widely criticized

00:42:22.360 --> 00:42:24.820
internationally, targeted by anti -war, anti

00:42:24.820 --> 00:42:27.400
-globalization movements. Views even in close

00:42:27.400 --> 00:42:29.880
allies like France were more negative than from

00:42:29.880 --> 00:42:32.559
most previous presidents, though he had close

00:42:32.559 --> 00:42:35.500
personal ties with leaders like Tony Blair, Vicente

00:42:35.500 --> 00:42:39.260
Fox. But others like Karzai, Chavez, were openly

00:42:39.260 --> 00:42:42.449
critical. Tensions grew with Putin. That 2006

00:42:42.449 --> 00:42:45.449
survey found most in 18 countries had unfavorable

00:42:45.449 --> 00:42:48.050
opinions, saw his administration as negative

00:42:48.050 --> 00:42:51.409
for world security. Pew reported global attitudes

00:42:51.409 --> 00:42:53.510
toward the U .S. became less favorable during

00:42:53.510 --> 00:42:56.769
his presidency. A 2007 Air of Nations survey

00:42:56.769 --> 00:42:59.329
found him the most disliked world leader. But

00:42:59.329 --> 00:43:03.050
then the exception, Albania. that June 2007 visit,

00:43:03.289 --> 00:43:05.769
greeted with extraordinary enthusiasm. Albania

00:43:05.769 --> 00:43:08.090
supported U .S. foreign policy, had troops in

00:43:08.090 --> 00:43:10.530
Iraq, Afghanistan, the street named after him,

00:43:10.670 --> 00:43:13.690
the statue, a unique pocket of warmth. A real

00:43:13.690 --> 00:43:15.610
anomaly in the global picture at the time. OK,

00:43:15.690 --> 00:43:17.949
let's transition to his post -presidency, 2009

00:43:17.949 --> 00:43:20.449
to now. A distinctly different chapter. Definitely.

00:43:20.690 --> 00:43:23.110
After Obama's inauguration, he returned to Texas.

00:43:23.489 --> 00:43:26.329
Ranch first, then settled in Dallas. Made regular

00:43:26.329 --> 00:43:29.050
low -key appearances. coin toss at the Cowboys

00:43:29.050 --> 00:43:31.489
Stadium, throwing first pitches at Rangers games,

00:43:31.829 --> 00:43:34.849
even the 2023 World Series. Had successful heart

00:43:34.849 --> 00:43:38.170
treatment in 2013, issued that statement condemning

00:43:38.170 --> 00:43:40.730
the Dallas police shooting violence in 2016.

00:43:40.949 --> 00:43:43.449
He's kept a relatively low public profile, especially

00:43:43.449 --> 00:43:45.989
regarding direct political commentary. Has spoken

00:43:45.989 --> 00:43:48.610
in favor of women's global participation. In

00:43:48.610 --> 00:43:51.590
his first post -presidency speech, said Obama.

00:43:51.849 --> 00:43:54.829
deserves my silence. Appeared on Colbert Report

00:43:54.829 --> 00:43:56.969
praising troops, attended Ted Kennedy's funeral,

00:43:57.230 --> 00:43:59.309
even did motivational speaking. Visited Fort

00:43:59.309 --> 00:44:01.329
Hood victims privately after the shooting. And

00:44:01.329 --> 00:44:03.949
he became an author. Decision Points, his memoirs,

00:44:03.969 --> 00:44:07.150
came out in 2010. Identified keeping the country

00:44:07.150 --> 00:44:09.909
safe as his biggest accomplishment, failing on

00:44:09.909 --> 00:44:12.130
Social Security reform is his greatest failure.

00:44:12.670 --> 00:44:16.110
Notably, defended waterboarding KSM said, I'd

00:44:16.110 --> 00:44:18.409
do it again to save lives. Also wrote a foreword

00:44:18.409 --> 00:44:20.829
for an economics book published 41, a portrait

00:44:20.829 --> 00:44:23.489
of my father in 2014 and portraits of courage

00:44:23.489 --> 00:44:27.190
in 2017 featuring his veteran paintings. Politically,

00:44:27.489 --> 00:44:30.590
his post presidency has been nuanced, often neutral.

00:44:31.250 --> 00:44:34.570
Didn't attend the 2012 RNC physically, just appeared

00:44:34.570 --> 00:44:37.010
in a video endorsing Romney. Explained on Leno,

00:44:37.110 --> 00:44:39.190
he wouldn't criticize his successor, wasn't good

00:44:39.190 --> 00:44:41.429
for the country. But he did vocally disagree

00:44:41.429 --> 00:44:44.309
with Obama pulling troops from Iraq in 2011,

00:44:44.429 --> 00:44:47.230
called it a strategic blunder. In 2015, Tien

00:44:47.230 --> 00:44:49.250
says boots on the ground were needed to defeat

00:44:49.250 --> 00:44:52.269
ISIS, contrasting with Obama, but declined to

00:44:52.269 --> 00:44:55.150
comment on Iran specifically. The 2016 election

00:44:55.150 --> 00:44:57.610
was tricky for him, campaigned for Jeb early

00:44:57.610 --> 00:45:00.670
on, but refused to endorse Trump, didn't attend

00:45:00.670 --> 00:45:03.429
the RNC. Reportedly told AIDS, I'm worried that

00:45:03.429 --> 00:45:05.420
I will be the last Republican president. left

00:45:05.420 --> 00:45:07.820
his ballot blank, didn't vote for Trump. Though

00:45:07.820 --> 00:45:10.739
he, his father, and Jeb did call Trump to congratulate

00:45:10.739 --> 00:45:13.400
him after the win, attended Trump's inauguration,

00:45:13.679 --> 00:45:16.380
the famous poncho meme moment, allegedly called

00:45:16.380 --> 00:45:19.420
the ceremony some weird shit. August 2017, he

00:45:19.420 --> 00:45:21.519
and his father jointly condemned the United Right

00:45:21.519 --> 00:45:25.210
rally violence. than that powerful October 2017

00:45:25.210 --> 00:45:28.269
speech. Noting, bigotry seems emboldened, politics

00:45:28.269 --> 00:45:30.829
vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright

00:45:30.829 --> 00:45:33.630
fabrication, urging opposition to democratic

00:45:33.630 --> 00:45:36.650
threats, widely seen as denouncing Trump without

00:45:36.650 --> 00:45:40.269
naming him. Eulogize John McCain in 2018. Delivered

00:45:40.269 --> 00:45:42.269
his father's eulogy later that year, sharing

00:45:42.269 --> 00:45:45.920
those last words, I love you too. visited South

00:45:45.920 --> 00:45:48.800
Korea in 2019 to honor former President Roh Moo

00:45:48.800 --> 00:45:51.920
-hyun, drew his portrait. June 2020, statement

00:45:51.920 --> 00:45:54.780
on George Floyd's murder, anguished, disturbed

00:45:54.780 --> 00:45:57.460
by the injustice and fear, time to examine our

00:45:57.460 --> 00:46:00.260
tragic failures, attended John Lewis's funeral,

00:46:00.440 --> 00:46:03.039
didn't endorse in 2020, wrote in Condoleezza

00:46:03.039 --> 00:46:05.480
Rice, congratulated Biden -Harris, called the

00:46:05.480 --> 00:46:08.159
election fundamentally fair, attended Biden's

00:46:08.159 --> 00:46:10.789
inauguration. After the January 6th Capitol attack,

00:46:11.010 --> 00:46:12.849
joined other former presidents in denouncing

00:46:12.849 --> 00:46:14.889
it as an insurrection, like something from a

00:46:14.889 --> 00:46:17.389
banana republic. Opposed Biden's Afghanistan

00:46:17.389 --> 00:46:19.409
withdrawal, worried about creating vacuum, called

00:46:19.409 --> 00:46:21.849
it a mistake. That moving speech at the Flight

00:46:21.849 --> 00:46:25.489
93 Memorial on the 9 -11 20th anniversary. Condemned

00:46:25.489 --> 00:46:28.710
the 2024 assassination attempt on Trump. Didn't

00:46:28.710 --> 00:46:32.489
attend the 24 RNC. No endorsement. Congratulated

00:46:32.489 --> 00:46:35.420
Trump fans after their win. attended Trump's

00:46:35.420 --> 00:46:37.639
second inauguration. What's really fascinating,

00:46:37.739 --> 00:46:40.199
though, is that tradition of former presidents

00:46:40.199 --> 00:46:42.780
coming together despite political differences.

00:46:42.900 --> 00:46:45.480
It is powerful. His collaborations with Bill

00:46:45.480 --> 00:46:48.219
Clinton on the Haiti fund, with Obama and others

00:46:48.219 --> 00:46:51.019
on the One America appeal for hurricane victims.

00:46:51.300 --> 00:46:53.820
Obama calling him after Bin Laden was killed,

00:46:54.360 --> 00:46:56.840
joining the Obamas for the 9 -11 10th anniversary.

00:46:57.000 --> 00:46:59.119
And that noted good -natured friendship with

00:46:59.119 --> 00:47:02.059
Michelle Obama. Forever seatmates, his partner

00:47:02.059 --> 00:47:04.360
in crime at former's gatherings. The mint passing

00:47:04.360 --> 00:47:07.119
incidents became famous. It really raises that

00:47:07.119 --> 00:47:09.480
question about the evolving role of former presidents,

00:47:09.840 --> 00:47:12.199
the camaraderie that can form across party lines.

00:47:12.360 --> 00:47:15.039
It does. And his post presidency also saw that

00:47:15.039 --> 00:47:18.369
serious artistic pursuit? Painting. Inspired

00:47:18.369 --> 00:47:20.969
by Churchill. Subjects ranging from people, dogs,

00:47:21.250 --> 00:47:23.550
still life. Portraits of world leaders like Putin

00:47:23.550 --> 00:47:26.329
and Blair. Portraits of courage donating proceeds.

00:47:26.710 --> 00:47:29.070
Drew that portrait of Roh Mohian. A whole unexpected

00:47:29.070 --> 00:47:31.829
dimension. So wrapping up, this deep dive leaves

00:47:31.829 --> 00:47:34.929
us with a truly complex, still evolving legacy

00:47:34.929 --> 00:47:38.010
for George W. Bush. Constantly debated, reevaluated.

00:47:38.329 --> 00:47:40.489
Supporters credit his counter -terrorism policies

00:47:40.489 --> 00:47:43.469
with preventing another 9 -11. Praise PEP -Yafar.

00:47:43.809 --> 00:47:46.559
Medicare Part D. Critics point to the Iraq War,

00:47:47.119 --> 00:47:50.599
the WMD justification failure, tax policy, Katrina

00:47:50.599 --> 00:47:53.340
response, climate change stance, handling of

00:47:53.340 --> 00:47:56.639
the 2008 financial crisis, even accusations of

00:47:56.639 --> 00:47:59.360
war crimes from figures like Ben Ferenc. Despite

00:47:59.360 --> 00:48:01.539
the divisions, many historians call him one of

00:48:01.539 --> 00:48:04.360
the most consequential presidents. Julian Zelizer

00:48:04.360 --> 00:48:06.840
called his presidency transformative, predicting

00:48:06.840 --> 00:48:08.840
his perception would become more substantive

00:48:08.840 --> 00:48:11.760
over time. Brian Williams called him most noteworthy

00:48:11.760 --> 00:48:14.539
president since FDR, citing the Patriot Act's

00:48:14.539 --> 00:48:17.139
expansion of executive power, largest tax cuts

00:48:17.139 --> 00:48:19.619
since Reagan, biggest government expansion homeland

00:48:19.619 --> 00:48:22.539
security since the Great Society, widely portrayed

00:48:22.539 --> 00:48:25.880
in media known by nicknames like Dubia. Historical

00:48:25.880 --> 00:48:28.400
reception has been dynamic. Scholarly rankings

00:48:28.400 --> 00:48:30.760
initially placed him low, like that 2010 Sienna

00:48:30.760 --> 00:48:33.719
survey ranking him 39th. Bush himself said history

00:48:33.719 --> 00:48:35.760
would judge. He wouldn't be around for it. But

00:48:35.760 --> 00:48:38.619
his ranking improved in C -SPAN's 2021 survey,

00:48:38.960 --> 00:48:41.840
up to 29th. And U .S. public opinion has significantly

00:48:41.840 --> 00:48:44.849
improved since 2009. Gallup noted views becoming

00:48:44.849 --> 00:48:48.469
more positive. By 2013, his favorables outweighed

00:48:48.469 --> 00:48:51.070
unfavorables for the first time post presidency.

00:48:51.489 --> 00:48:54.909
A 2018 CNN poll found 61 percent held a favorable

00:48:54.909 --> 00:48:57.230
view, widely interpreted as Democrats viewing

00:48:57.230 --> 00:49:00.030
him more favorably in contrast to Trump, an assessment

00:49:00.030 --> 00:49:02.090
Bush himself reportedly quipped about. Trump

00:49:02.090 --> 00:49:04.510
makes me look pretty good. Foreign perceptions,

00:49:04.550 --> 00:49:07.739
though, largely remain highly unfavorable. Remember

00:49:07.739 --> 00:49:11.099
that, how can 59 million, 54 thousand, 87 people

00:49:11.099 --> 00:49:14.500
be so dumb? Headline. Especially high unfavorables

00:49:14.500 --> 00:49:17.179
in Muslim majority countries. Despite that, some

00:49:17.179 --> 00:49:20.159
unique honors. That street in Tirana, Albania.

00:49:20.599 --> 00:49:22.500
The Estonian Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana

00:49:22.500 --> 00:49:24.659
for NATO expansion. Two elementary schools named

00:49:24.659 --> 00:49:27.019
after him. So the deep dive on George W. Bush,

00:49:27.480 --> 00:49:29.679
it really leaves us with this fascinatingly complex,

00:49:29.719 --> 00:49:32.199
evolving picture, doesn't it? What stands out

00:49:32.199 --> 00:49:34.760
to you about how perceptions have shifted domestically

00:49:34.760 --> 00:49:36.719
and internationally, especially recently? It

00:49:36.719 --> 00:49:38.820
really is a testament to how history is a living

00:49:38.820 --> 00:49:41.500
thing, always being reevaluated, seen through

00:49:41.500 --> 00:49:44.639
new lenses, new comparisons. Absolutely. This

00:49:44.639 --> 00:49:47.139
deep dive truly illustrates that leadership in

00:49:47.139 --> 00:49:49.800
times of crisis leaves an indelible mark and

00:49:49.800 --> 00:49:52.960
understanding a presidency means looking beyond

00:49:52.960 --> 00:49:55.849
just the immediate reactions. Bush's time was

00:49:55.849 --> 00:49:58.670
one of immense challenge, profound change. And

00:49:58.670 --> 00:50:00.869
the varied opinions show that dynamic nature

00:50:00.869 --> 00:50:03.460
of how history is written and rewritten. Exactly.

00:50:03.699 --> 00:50:06.019
From historians initially ranking him low to

00:50:06.019 --> 00:50:08.480
a public whose views softened, especially compared

00:50:08.480 --> 00:50:11.420
to later figures, it's fascinating. His decision

00:50:11.420 --> 00:50:14.719
points, tax cuts, global conflicts, PEPFAR had

00:50:14.719 --> 00:50:16.880
far reaching consequences we still feel today

00:50:16.880 --> 00:50:20.039
at home and globally, a testament to the immense

00:50:20.039 --> 00:50:22.519
weight of the office. So considering all those

00:50:22.519 --> 00:50:24.820
dramatic shifts, global events, public sentiment

00:50:24.820 --> 00:50:27.079
throughout his career, what do you think is the

00:50:27.079 --> 00:50:30.059
single most enduring yet perhaps overlooked aspect

00:50:30.059 --> 00:50:32.710
of George W. Bush's legacy that future generations

00:50:32.710 --> 00:50:34.570
will continue to grapple with and learn from.