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Artwork for Letters from an American

Letters from an American

Heather Cox Richardson
Donald J. Trump
Donald Trump
Iran
United States
Abraham Lincoln
Republican Party
Strait Of Hormuz
Civil War
NATO
Department Of Justice
Trump Administration
Gerrymandering
World War II
Trump
Jeffrey Epstein
Russia
Iran War
American History
Democratic Party
George Washington

Heather Cox Richardson's narrated newsletter about the history behind today's politics. heathercoxrichardson.substack.com

PublishesDailyEpisodes877Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsHistoryNews

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Artwork for Letters from an American

Latest Episodes

September 8, 2026

Germany’s far right AfD party won 43.8% of the vote in the small state of Saxony0Anhalt, formerly part of the Soviet dominated East Germany, Right wing leaders across Europe celebrated the outcome, Elon Musk, a supporter of AfD, wa... more

September 7, 2026

Trump has been posting on social media at a frantic pace, He is posting AI images of himself as a superhero, as various historic figures, as a mapmaker, and a stock trader. He apparently believes that trolling the country is a good... more

September 5, 2026

The Trump administration had a busy Friday, US District Judge Talwani blocked Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional plan to use the US Postal Service to screen mail-in voters, A day after Interior Secretary Burgum announced that wor... more

YouTube

September 4, 2026

On September 5, 1882, workers in New York City celebrated the first Labor Day holiday, Their goal was to emphasize the importance of workers in the industrializing economy, Twenty years after the Civil War, government had swung tow... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Jon Ossoff
U.S. Senator (Democrat, Georgia)
United States Senate
Episode: Trump’s Lies
Jay Clayton
Trump's nominee to oversee the US intelligence community as Director of National Intelligence
U.S. government (nominee)
Episode: Trump’s Lies
Doug Jones
Former US Senator from Alabama.
Episode: December 12, 2025
Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
State of California
Episode: Live with Heather Cox Richardson
Liza Donnelly
Writer and cartoonist, known for her work in humor and political commentary.
Cartoonist for The New Yorker
Episode: Chatting with Liza Donnelly
Alex Padilla
Senator from California and highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety.
U.S. Senate
Episode: June 12, 2025
J.B. Pritzker
Governor of Illinois and Democratic leader
Illinois State Government
Episode: April 28, 2025
Antony Blinken
Former Secretary of State
Episode: March 1, 2025
Volodymyr Zelensky
President of Ukraine, known for his leadership during the ongoing conflict with Russia
Ukrainian Government
Episode: February 28, 2025

Host

Heather Cox Richardson
Host of Letters from an American; historian and author providing historical context and analysis of current events.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 8.3k ratings
  • It’s important to define things

    This podcast is good, and it’s about the United States of America, or USA. Each day, I listen to it as soon as possible, or ASAP. I hope the federal government isn’t monitoring my activities through the central intelligence agency or federal Bureau of investigation, or CIA or FBI, respectively

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Billybill1984
    United States4 days ago
  • Thank you❣️

    Great work

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    From Munich, Germany
    Germany8 days ago
  • Left me in tears

    Your composition to tribute Dolly is the best I’ve heard and brought me to tears on my evening walk. Thank you.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    geniusstyle
    United States13 days ago
  • Daily dose of sanity, and of remembering how we got here.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    CainerWolf
    24 days ago
  • The plane boss, the plane

    Never mind the fact that he snuck out of the decoy plane in a catering truck. What about the fact that he made a show of moving from the new plane gifted by Qatar to an older plane before that? Not only did he leave others in harms way to protect himself, he also wanted to protect his precious gilded aircraft.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    knotmea
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Positive and highly favorable toward the host's clarity, grounding, and insight into current events.
Feedback highlights the host's ability to connect past and present, with praise for accessible, well-researched storytelling.
Some listeners criticize production/audio quality or pacing, but overwhelmingly appreciate the factual, historical lens.
Listeners value the historical perspective as a counterpoint to quick spins and sensational coverage.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#224
United States/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#10
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#32
United States/News
Apple Podcasts
#34
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#101
Canada/News
Apple Podcasts
#104
United Kingdom/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

October 31, 2025
Q: If we come to November 1st, and these contingency funds haven't been released, will you call on your Democratic colleagues to reopen the government?
Ngoos stated that this is a fair characterization of the situation and highlighted the lawlessness of the Trump administration regarding the release of SNAP funds for families.
Live with Heather Cox Richardson
Q: What should the American people be doing to support the Democratic Project right now?
The antidote to cynicism and fear is active participation and expression of individual agency.
March 1, 2025
Q: Was the idea of spreading democracy without colonialism a deliberate strategy of the Biden administration?
Yes, the administration aimed to promote self-determination while working with various countries, not strictly democracies.
March 1, 2025
Q: What did the Biden administration and the State Department under the Biden administration change in our foreign policy and why does it matter?
Blinken outlines significant shifts towards rebuilding alliances and promoting democratic values globally.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Letters from an American

What is Letters from an American about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Historically grounded takes on today's political moment, with a focus on how past governance, constitutional debates, and long-running social struggles shape current events and policy choices. Episodes consistently thread through themes like democracy, rights, education, and foreign policy, using archival context to illuminate why today's decisions unfold the way they do. A distinctive angle is the historian-narrator's emphasis on long arcs and precedents, offering listeners a rigorous, data-informed critique of contemporary rhetoric and political strategy.

What stands out is a calm, scholarship-driven cadence that treats current events as episodes in a broader historical narrative, making complex interconnections accessible to a politicall... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Letters from an American?

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1. Politics Chat
2. The Best People with Nicolle Wallace
3. The Rachel Maddow Show
4. The Bulwark Daily
5. The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

How many episodes of Letters from an American are there?

Letters from an American launched 3 years ago and published 877 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Letters from an American?

Recent guests on Letters from an American include:

1. Jon Ossoff
2. Jay Clayton
3. Doug Jones
4. Gavin Newsom
5. Liza Donnelly
6. Alex Padilla
7. J.B. Pritzker
8. Antony Blinken

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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