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Bret Baier, Chief Political Anchor for Fox News Channel spoke to Bill about his new book TO RESCUE THE CONSTITUTION: George Washington and the Fragile American Experiment. Plus Political News Of The Day.
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ABOUT BRETT BAIER
BRET BAIER is the chief political anchor for Fox News Channel and the anchor and executive editor of Special Report with Bret Baier. He previously served as Chief White House Correspondent for Fox News Channel and as the network's National Security Correspondent based at the Pentagon, reporting on military and national security affairs. A recipient of the National Press Foundation's Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism, Baier is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Three Days at the Brink: FDR's Daring Gamble to Win WWII; Three Days in Moscow: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of the Soviet Empire; Three Days in January: Dwight Eisenhower's Final Mission; and Special Heart: A Journey of Faith, Hope, Courage and Love. He lives with his family in Washington, DC.
Learn more at https://bretbaier.com/ or follow Bret on social media:
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ABOUT BRETT BAIER'S BOOK TO RESCUE THE CONSTITUTION: GEORGE WASHINGTON & THE FRAGILE AMERICAN EXSPERIMENT
TO RESCUE THE CONSTITUTION: George Washington and the Fragile American Experiment is the highly anticipated new book from Bret Baier, #1 New York Times bestselling author and Fox News Channel's Chief Political Anchor (to be published October 10). You may remember Baier's previous bestsellers-To Rescue the Republic, Three Days at the Brink, Three Days in Moscow, and Three Days in January-all of which were critical and commercial successes that have served to introduce new readers to the complex realities of American history. Now, in this blockbuster new biography, Baier focuses on George Washington's return from retirement to lead the Constitutional Convention and secure the future of the United States.
In this colorful and moving portrait of America's early struggles, when the fight for survival was constant, Baier captures the dramatic moments when Washington's leadership brought the nation from the brink of collapse. Baier exposes an early America that is grittier and far more divided than it is often portrayed-one we can see reflected in today's conflicts. As Baier writes, "Unity is what we crave, even in the midst of our divisions. The lessons of the past ncan lead us back there."
TO RESCUE THE CONSTITUTION is already being praised as "a stylish portrait of the Foundingest Father of them all" (Pulitzer Prize winning historian Joseph J. Ellis) that "could not be more timely as the country again seeks leaders of dignity and courage, resolve and restraint" (Hugh Hewitt), "the scenes have striking relevance in today's fractured npolitical climate, underscoring the need for constant vigilance to protect the values of our republic" (Mark Levin) and that "Baier once again proves that he is a first-rate popular historian" (Douglas Brinkley).
George Washington rescued the nation and the Constitution three times: first by winning the Revolutionary War, second by presiding over the Constitutional Convention and ushering the Constitution through a fractious ratification process, and third by leading the nation as president in its first years. There is no doubt that the struggling new nation needed to be rescued.
After the victorious war, when a spirit of unity and patriotism might have been expected, instead the nation was broken. The states were no more than a loosely knit and contentious confederation, with no strong central union. They were in constant conflict. A frustrated Washington wrote to James Madison, "We are either a united people, or we are not... If we are not, let us no longer act a farce by pretending to it..." It was an urgent matter and led to the calling of a Constitutional Convention.
Setting aside his plan to retire to Mount Vernon, where he had a happy family life and was fully engaged in his farming enterprises, Washington agreed to be a delegate at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. There he was unanimously elected president of the convention. After successfully bringing the Constitution into being, Washington then sacrificed any hope of returning to private life by accepting the unanimous election to be the nation's first president. Washington was not known for brilliant oratory or prose, but his quiet, steady leadership gave life to the Constitution by showing how it should be enacted. He not only helped write the nation's blueprint; he lived it.
Among the topics and insights Baier illuminates:
. A portrait of the original "divided America" that places our own moment in perspective: Our present is often cast as uniquely divisive, but Baier chronicles how the bitter fractures of the early nation-patriots vs. loyalists; federalists vs. republicans; north vs. south; urban vs. rural-constantly threatened to unravel the American project.
. Highlights Washington's forgotten role at the Constitutional Convention: George Washington is celebrated as the hero of the Revolution and remembered as our first president. But we forget his central role at the Constitutional Convention (the so-called "Second American Revolution"), where he served as president, guided the Constitution to its final form, and then lent his influence to ensure it was ratified by the states.
. A leadership study of Washington, the ultimate unifier: To a great degree, Washington was the only figure with the respect and reputation sufficient to unite the entire nation. Power for its own sake was never important to Washington. He strove not to resent the people for their strong voices, their disagreements, their challenges to him. Every conflict offered a new opportunity to fulfill the national purpose.
. Understanding how the earliest debates still reverberate today: From power struggles between national and local government to spirited disagreements about term limits, the role of the Supreme Court, and more, Baier illuminates how the founders quarreled about issues we're still debating in 2023. Further, Washington's concerns about polarized political parties tearing at the unity of a new nation has proved prescient.