Full Breakdown
In Pursuit: A Nonpartisan Essay Series on American Presidents Excludes Trump
8/8/2026, 10:42:08 PM
Launch and Scope of the Project
The “In Pursuit” series, organized by the National Archives’ former archivist Colleen Shogan, is a 250th-anniversary initiative that commissions historians, former officials and cultural figures to write short essays about each U.S. president and first lady. The rollout began with an essay on George Washington and proceeds chronologically, with new pieces released weekly through December. To date, contributors have covered 43 presidents—excluding incumbent Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump—and 30 first ladies. The series is being staged by More Perfect, a coalition of presidential centers, academics and democracy-focused organizations.
Former Presidents and Notable Contributors
Former presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton each authored essays that subtly reference contemporary concerns about the use of power. Obama wrote about Abraham Lincoln, while Clinton examined Theodore Roosevelt’s expansion of “we the people” alongside his exclusionary policies toward Black and Indigenous peoples. Other contributors include Chief Justice John Roberts (writing on William Howard Taft), former General Stanley McChrystal (on Ulysses S. Grant), former congressman Steve Israel (on Millard Fillmore) and historian David W. Blight (on Franklin Pierce).
Archival Leadership and the 2025 Dismissal
She characterizes the archivist role as historically nonpartisan, comparable to the Librarian of Congress. The White House declined to comment on the dismissal or whether Congress will be formally notified, as required by law.
Audience Reach and Media Extensions
The essays have attracted more than one million cumulative views on Substack, 160,000 podcast downloads and nearly 64,000 YouTube views, according to Shogan. A documentary about the series is slated to air on PBS in October, underscoring the public appetite for historically grounded, non-ideological content.
Official Statements and Future Plans
The series will continue publishing weekly installments through the end of the year, with no indication that Trump or Biden will be featured until a later historical assessment.
