What Would the Founders Think of America Today?
The Founding Fathers Return to Modern America
Newt Gingrich Explores America's 250th Anniversary with Historian Johanna Neuman.
As America marks its 250th birthday, Newt Gingrich reflects on the nation's remarkable endurance and asks what the Founding Fathers would think if they could see the country today. Newt examines the challenges surrounding this year's Independence Day, from record-breaking heat to questions about infrastructure, resilience, and the responsibilities that come with self-government. He argues that America's longevity is no accident, but the result of constitutional principles designed to withstand difficult times.
Newt is joined by historian, journalist, and novelist Johanna Neuman to discuss her new historical novel, Trump's Superpower. The conversation explores Neuman's career in political journalism, her award-winning historical research, the forgotten role wealthy socialites played in the women's suffrage movement, and the inspiration behind imagining America's founders returning to Washington during the nation's 250th anniversary. Together, they examine how history continues to shape today's political and cultural debates and why America's founding principles remain as relevant as ever.
Listen to the episode below, or scroll down for an edited transcript.
Edited Transcript
This conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
Newt Gingrich
As America celebrated its 250th birthday, I found myself thinking about what makes our country so unique. The Founders didn’t believe the future would be easy they believed self-government was worth the challenge. This year’s Independence Day came with extreme weather, canceled celebrations, and real hardships, but it also reminded us that resilience has always been part of the American story.
That brings me to today’s guest. Historian, journalist, and novelist Johanna Neuman has written a fascinating new book, Trump’s Superpower, which imagines George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Mercy Otis Warren, and other Founders returning to America during its 250th anniversary. Johanna, welcome to Newt’s World.
Johanna Neuman
Thank you, Newt. It’s wonderful to be here.
I grew up in Los Angeles in a family where politics was always part of the dinner table conversation. I loved writing from an early age, so journalism felt like a natural fit. After Berkeley, I started covering local government in California before eventually moving into national politics.
Newt Gingrich
Your career took you from California to Mississippi and eventually to Washington. Along the way you covered the White House, Congress, and the State Department. What did those experiences teach you?
Johanna Neuman
Every stop taught me something different. In California I learned local politics. In Mississippi I learned investigative reporting and what it meant to challenge the political establishment. By the time I arrived in Washington, I had a much better understanding of how power really works.
Covering President Reagan and later Secretary of State James Baker was especially influential. Reagan changed many of my assumptions, and Baker showed me how effective diplomacy depends on understanding both policy and politics.
Newt Gingrich
After journalism, you earned a Ph.D. in history and wrote your award-winning book Gilded Suffragists. What drew you to that story?
Johanna Neuman
I originally planned to study the early leaders of the suffrage movement, but I became fascinated by another group entirely wealthy New York socialites who made women’s suffrage fashionable.
They were celebrities of their day. Newspapers covered what they wore, where they lived, and who attended their events. When they embraced the suffrage movement, public interest exploded. Yet history largely forgot the role they played because traditional organizations received most of the credit.
Newt Gingrich
Your latest book takes a very different approach. How did you come up with the idea for Trump’s Superpower?
Johanna Neuman
The idea came while I was visiting the National Archives. I had gone to see the Declaration of Independence and Constitution after protesters had targeted the display cases. Standing there, I found myself wondering what the Founding Fathers would think if they could see America today.
That question stayed with me, and eventually it became the foundation for the novel.
Newt Gingrich
Why did you choose the title Trump’s Superpower?
Johanna Neuman
I believe President Trump has consistently drawn strength from America’s Founders and their ideas. Long before the 250th anniversary became a national focus, he was talking about celebrating America’s founding and restoring appreciation for the nation’s history.
The novel imagines what might happen if the Founders returned and found themselves in today’s political and cultural debates. Some people believe they’re genuine, others think they’re simply actors, and that uncertainty becomes part of the story.
Newt Gingrich
One of the things I found especially interesting is the way you use fiction to explore very real historical questions.
Johanna Neuman
That was exactly my goal. I wanted readers to think about the Founders not as distant historical figures, but as people whose ideas still matter.
Some of my favorite scenes place them in modern Washington—at the White House, the National Archives, and in conversations about today’s cultural conflicts. Looking at our world through their eyes creates an entirely new perspective.
Newt Gingrich
Do you think Americans are becoming more interested in the Founders again?
Johanna Neuman
I do. Between America’s 250th anniversary, new films about George Washington, renewed interest in Revolutionary history, and broader conversations about our founding principles, I think history is becoming relevant again.
People are asking bigger questions about where we came from and what kind of country we want to be going forward.
Newt Gingrich
I think your novel arrives at exactly the right moment. It combines history, politics, and imagination in a way that encourages readers to think seriously about America’s founding and the principles that have guided us for 250 years.
Johanna, thank you for joining me, and congratulations on a fascinating book.
About the Guest
Johanna Neuman is a historian, journalist, political commentator, and novelist. A former Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, she covered the White House, State Department, and Congress for USA Today and the Los Angeles Times. She earned her Ph.D. in history from American University and is the award-winning author of Gilded Suffragists. Her latest novel, Trump's Superpower, imagines America's Founding Fathers returning to modern-day Washington during the nation's 250th anniversary.
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