Chapo Trap House - Coming Soon: Hell of Presidents with Matt Christman and Chris Wade

Episode Date: June 18, 2021

Who were the U.S. Presidents? What did they do? How did they do it? Why should you care? Chapo Trap House's Matt Christman and Chris Wade will attempt to demystify all 46 U.S. Presidents in this new limited series podcast, discussing how these guys rose to power and how they executed that power as a product of the historical and material circumstances around them. All with the signature Christman flair of wit, recall and analysis, and the signature Wade flair of "getting Matt to do things". Available exclusively on Stitcher Premium starting July 2. To sign up and to get a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com/hell on your mobile or desktop browser, click start free trial, select a monthly plan, and use promo code HELL.

The Presidents. Who are they? What did they want? What did they do? Are they good guys or bad guys? Why the hell should I care? I'm driving to work or resurfacing my deck or like eating a hamburger right now. Quit asking me questions about the U.S. Presidents. Why don't you nerds get a life? These are all great questions. I'm Chris Wade, producer of Chapo Trap House. I'm Matt Crispin, host of Chapo Trap House. And we're here to sell you on our new podcast, Hell of Presidents, a history of the United States told through the office of the U.S. President. If you're an American or any of the people around the world who live under the boot of our imperial dominion,

you've probably noticed we just went through two presidential elections that appeared as cataclysmic rendings of the fabric of our nation, all to end up with the result of grandpa ice cream sitting in the Oval Office. Kind of makes you wonder, what exactly are we doing here with these guys? We invest an enormous amount of psychic energy into who our presidents are and were, so we figured it would be a good project to try to demystify the office and its history. To figure out if these men are indeed titans of our history, shaping the destiny of our nation and the world through iron will and intellect. Or if they're instead products of their time, subjects of history constrained and shaped by the forces, constituencies, and events that guided them to office in the first place. Also, years of noticing that after you put a few beers in Matt, he was basically an endless font of off the dome presidential history and analysis made me go,

damn, that's good content. And well, this podcast was born. I'll be providing a basic historical outline and context. In late January, 1825, a Philadelphia newspaper published a letter with a sensational allegation about the Speaker of the House, Henry Clay, quote, the friends of Mr. Clay have hinted that day like the Swiss would fight for those who pay best. And Matt will be bringing all the explanation and analysis in the signature Christman style you all know and love. Every institution in the Constitution that ended up being built needs to be understood first as a compromise between the various ruling elites of the States, but also an undergirding desire to create baffles and chambers that diffused popular energy and disallowed it to be manipulated from above.

Because one thing these guys all agreed on is that there could be no agency, no real political agency from below. And through the presidency, we'll also be tracking the growth of America itself, from a colonial backwater of slave owners and yeoman farmers, to an industrial powerhouse, to a world bestriding corporate behemoth, to a flailing empire at the end of history. So join us as we guide you through our hell of presidents, covering the lives, careers, ambitions, bungles, accomplishments and crimes of all 46 office holders in just 13 episodes plus some bonus content, focusing on specific phenomena, crucial moments and cultural reflections of the American presidency. From Washington to Biden, from the Jackson cheese to the Trump handsome quarterback hamburger party, we'll cover it all on hell of presidents. Hell of presidents is available exclusively on Stitcher Premium. To sign up and get a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com slash hell on your mobile or desktop browser. Click start free trial, select a monthly plan and use promo code HELL.