Heritage Explains

One of the key components of the incoming Trump administration was securing the southern border. President Trump campaigned heavily on this issue, and now it is time to implement policy to deliver. To get a sense of what the Trump administration may pursue in the first hundred days of the new administration, I sat down with Simon Hankinson, Senior Reseaarch Fellow in the Border Security and Immigration Center here at the Heritage Foundation — Follow Simon Hankinson on X: https://x.com/watchfulwaiter1 Learn more about The Heritage Foundation: www.heritage.org — Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your friends at the Heritage Foundation! This week, we bring you a classic of the Christmas season.  “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was composed by New York writer and businessman Clement Clark Moore in 1823. Now over 200 hundred years old, it remains one of the most well-known and iconic American poems ever. It established many key characteristics of Santa Claus as we know him today. Prior to Moore’s poem, St. Nicholas (or in the Dutch, Sinterklaas) enjoyed his jolly, gift-giving reputation primarily among Dutch immigrants. Moore embellished the historical bishop with a sleigh, reindeer, white beard, chimney-diving ability, and the Santa-esque physique we all know and love.  — Learn more about The Heritage Foundation: www.heritage.org — Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

President Trump has promised new policies on border enforcement, designed to make Americans safer and to protect national sovereignty. To this end, he has selected career law enforcement officer Tom Homan as his Border Czar. I sat down with Tom to ask him about this new position and specifically, to shed light on one of the more contentious parts of Trump’s vision: the removal of illegal aliens from the American interior via deportation.  — Tom Homan on X: https://x.com/RealTomHoman — Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

In May of 2023, a man named Daniel Penny boarded a subway car in New York City. During transit, a man named Jordan Neely began to threaten Penny and the other passengers on the car. Expressing a desire to defend himself and others, Penny, an ex-Marine, put Neely in a chokehold until the train arrived at the next station. Shortly after the incident ended, Neely unfortunately died.  New York has brought a criminal case against Daniel Penny. The highly publicized trial concluded yesterday in Manhattan, with the jury delivering a verdict of “Not Guilty”. Because of the immediate nature of the event, we’ve decided to bring Heritage Explains to you a bit early this week. I sat down with Cully Stimson, Senior Legal Fellow here at the Heritage Foundation, to discuss the case. He’s a lawyer, but also a former prosecutor and judge, so it would be hard to find someone more qualified to shed light on Daniel Penny’s exoneration.  — Follow Cully Stimson on X: https://x.com/cullystimson Rogue Prosecutors Book: https://www.heritage.org/rogue-prosecutors — Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

Tariffs have been a hotly debated point in American politics since the country began. President-elect Donald Trump has demonstrated his support for tariffs, receiving criticism from both the left and some sections of the right. To understand the conservative approach to tariffs, we sat down with Richard Stern, the director of the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget here at the Heritage Foundation.  — Follow Richard Stern on X: https://x.com/richastern?lang=en — Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

Brenda Hafera, Assistant Director of the Simon Center for American Studies, dives into the life of Mercy Otis Warren, a pivotal yet often overlooked figure of the American Revolution. They explore Warren’s contributions as a political writer and playwright, showcasing her influence on early American thought. The discussion connects themes of gratitude to her legacy, especially timely with Thanksgiving approaching. Hafera highlights Warren's bravery in advocating for justice, reflecting on how these lessons from history resonate in today’s America.

George Washington. Abraham Lincoln. Martin Luther King, Jr.  These names are (hopefully) familiar to just about every kid growing up in the United States of America. They’re individuals who shaped the times that they lived in, whose impact has trickled down even to the present day. We remember them in order to understand how our country has developed over time, but also to learn from them, exceptional individuals that they were. Sometimes they demonstrated tremendous virtue. Other times they showed weakness and vice.  But it would be a mistake to only learn from these great figures of national history. We also have to turn to the personal, to the uncles, aunts, parents, and grandparents who have much to teach us from their own pasts.  One such example is Andre Joseph Scheinmann. Although his name doesn’t have the same reach as George Washington, his story is a truly remarkable one.  Heritage Vice President Victoria Coates sat down with author Diana Mara Henry and Dr. Gabriel Scheinmann, president of the The Alexander Hamilton Society, to hear some of that story.  — The Alexander Hamilton Society: https://www.alexanderhamiltonsociety.org/ I Am Andre by Diana Mara Henry: https://www.amazon.com/Am-Andr%C3%A9-Resistance-Fighter-British/dp/191655637X —Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

The election has swung decisively toward conservatives. But Inauguration Day is not until January 20th and the new Congress will not be in session until January 3rd. What happens between now and then? Connor Semelsburg, Government Relations Director for the Heritage Foundation, and Sarah Ursprung, Director of Government Relations for Heritage Action for America.  — The Heritage Foundation: www.heritage.org Heritage Action for America: www.heritageaction.com — Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

As of early this morning, Wednesday November 6th, Donald J Trump has won the presidency of the United states of America. There are still several house and senate races that are up in the air, but conservative policy has won a decisive victory in this cycle.  I sat down with Heritage Senior Legal Fellow, Hans von Spakovsky, to get his take on the events of last night and this morning.  — Hans von Spakovsky on X: https://x.com/hvonspakovsky — Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

A future Trump or Harris administration would take fundamentally different approaches to critical facets of American life. One such facet, an issue that has been at the forefront of both political campaigns, is the southern border.  Here to explain what to expect from a potential Harris or Trump administration on the border is Lora Ries, Director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation. — Lora Ries on X: https://x.com/lora_ries — Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org