Author & Historian Jon Meacham Delivers General Session Keynote
In a moment marked by conflict, there is value in perspective that goes beyond the latest trending outrage on X or the most recent viral soundbite on CNN. Author Jon Meacham addressed yesterday morning’s general session to offer some of that historical perspective, discussing what he called this “difficult moment” in the life of not just our country, but of the Western World. It’s a moment where political opposites are seen as enemies, not rivals. That is, Meacham stated, an important difference. “Rivals must be beaten. But enemies must be destroyed.” This state of politics as total war, in which every hour is existential conflict, is a new development—and it is one that bodes ill for our nation as political polarization seeps into our everyday life.
Love him or hate him, Meacham said, the last decade has been The Age of Trump. Asked about the 2028 presidential election, Meacham referenced the “conventional wisdom” on the likely GOP nominee but hedged on who he thought the Democrats might tap. The larger question that will drive the ’28 election, he said, is whether The Age of Trump becomes The Age of Trumpism. In other words, can a candidate without Donald Trump’s preternatural political talent pick up the MAGA mantle? Donald Trump, Meacham said, was chosen by the American electorate not just to send a message to Washington, but to send a messenger.
And what of Americans who are fatigued by the constant onslaught of negativity and tumult? Meacham offered a simple solution: turn the TV off and put the phone down. A media culture that monetizes division has an interest in fomenting it. Sober, cordial debates about policy don’t drive clicks and engagement. “Cable news is driving decisions in ways that aren’t healthy,” Meacham said. “Don’t let any X feed or cable network tell you what to think.” He went on to say that we as a nation are choosing to be this divided—and that politicians act on incentive. He drew a hearty laugh from attendees when he called for something tantamount to “partisan Ozempic,” saying he wished there were some way to take a shot to become a little less partisan.
Meacham noted that engineers are order among chaos and that there is reason to keep the faith and not despair in this moment. He closed his remarks with a famous call to arms by Faber College’s Bluto Blutarsky, reminding us all that it wasn’t over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.
