Fox News Chief Political Anchor Bret Baier led a rich conversation about his newest book, The Case for America: An Argument on Behalf of Our Nation, after filming Special Report live from the Library. Moderated by Dr. Luke Nichter, James H. Cavanaugh Endowed Chair in Presidential Studies at Chapman University, the evening was part history lesson, part personal reflection, and part civic call to arms.
The book is structured like a courtroom argument, with readers cast as the jury. Baier shared how he builds his case methodically, presenting not a rose-colored retelling but a story of resilience. His goal is truth-telling: to recover what he calls “soda straw moments that history overlooks.” He pointed to the Nixon presidency as a prime example. While many remember the divisive climate of that era, President Nixon championed landmark bipartisan legislation including the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, and Title IX. Baier also highlighted how President Nixon established the Bicentennial Commission, citing these words from his first inaugural address:
Eight years from now America will celebrate its 200th anniversary as a nation. Within the lifetime of most people now living, mankind will celebrate that great new year which comes only once in a thousand years—the beginning of the third millennium.
What kind of a nation we will be, what kind of a world we will live in, whether we shape the future in the image of our hopes, is ours to determine by our actions and our choices.
Baier reflected that the question President Nixon posed then echoes today: What kind of nation shall we become?
For Baier, the answer to that question depends on us, stating, “We need to focus on the things that are great about this country now, and we especially need to have our kids learn our history — that essentially lays the groundwork for our future.”
The loss of civics and history education in schools was a recurring theme of the evening. “I really think that civics is lost in our schools. And history is being lost in our schools. And it’s an emergency — it’s a five-alarm fire,” Baier said. The Case for America deliberately includes voices from across the political spectrum, each contributing something hopeful, each modeling what it looks like to elevate the conversation and reach across the aisle.
The evening closed with Baier’s advice to young people: hustle. “If you just get off the bench and do something, then you can win.” With America 250 on the horizon, he sees a rare opportunity. A shared love of history can be the common ground that draws people together across divides and across generations.
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