The Chuck ToddCast
Why Vietnam Still HAUNTS American Politics: Inside Netflix’s 'Turning Point' | Chuck Todd
16 May 2025
Chuck Todd opens with a personal reflection on his father's connection to Vietnam before welcoming distinguished guests Ambassador John Negroponte and filmmaker Brian Knappenberger to discuss the new documentary series Turning Point and the lasting impacts of the Vietnam and Iraq wars on American politics and society. The conversation explores how Vietnam fundamentally shifted America's perception of itself, with Ambassador Negroponte sharing his firsthand experiences from the conflict. They examine how televised coverage transformed public perception of war, debate whether Vietnam was "worth it" in the context of the Cold War, and analyze why America ultimately lost the conflict. The discussion dives deep into how Vietnam became the Baby Boomers' defining generational experience, shattering trust in government institutions.They explore the military's evolution into a predominantly Republican constituency, the long-term political fallout of pardoning draft dodgers, and the devastating impact of drug use among soldiers during the conflict. The guests offer a rare perspective on how the Vietnamese people recovered from the war's effects and draw striking parallels between the withdrawals from Saigon and Afghanistan. They reflect on how these historical conflicts continue to shape modern American politics, noting that despite multiple Vietnam veterans running for president, none have ever won the office. They conclude with a thought-provoking consideration of how future generations might commemorate the 75th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, leaving listeners with a deeper understanding of how America's past military engagements continue to influence its present and future.Timeline:00:00 Introduction00:30 Chuck’s personal connection to Vietnam was his dad02:30 Vietnam + Iraq still haunt American politics04:10 John Negroponte and Brian Knappenberger join the Chuck Toddcast! 06:35 What do you hope people take away from Netflix's Turning Point?08:55 Vietnam's shadow loomed over the Iraq wars 10:55 We rarely talk about the war itself, mostly just the fallout 12:40 Vietnam shifted America's perception of itself 13:25 Ambassador Negroponte's experience of being in Vietnam 16:55 Was Vietnam viewed as a proxy war at the time? 20:00 The Iraq war has the same effect on our political psyche as Vietnam23:00 How did daily press coverage affect the ability to control the narrative 25:00 Vietnam being televised drastically changed the public's perception 27:00 Embedded reporters caused new challenges for managing the narrative 28:15 Was Vietnam worth it since we won the cold war? 30:05 Why did we lose the war? 32:45 Watergate ruined historians ability to document presidents 34:15 Vietnam was the boomer's coming of age story, shook their trust in government 35:30 Many January 6th rioters were Vietnam vets37:40 The importance of equipping and training local forces 39:10 Why did the military become a Republican constituency? 40:40 Pardoning the draft dodgers had long term political impacts 42:40 The horrible impact of drug use by soldiers in Vietnam 47:40 The perspective from the side of the north? 49:10 When did the Vietnamese recover from the effects of the war? 52:25 No Vietnam vet has ever been president 55:10 The military is America's only institution that has bipartisan support 58:35 How similar/different were the withdrawals from Saigon and Afghanistan? 59:25 What will the retrospective be on the 75th anniversary of the fall of Saigon1:02:35 Chuck’s thoughts on the interview
Full Episode
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Well, happy Friday, that's right, I've snuck in a special edition of the Chuck Todd cast, both of course in the audio and visual space. My guess for this, it's a special on the, look, we just passed the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, essentially the end of the Vietnam War.
And look, Vietnam has sort of defined our... For half the country or anybody over the age of 50, Vietnam has been a definer of our politics. I mean, I can just tell you about my own family. My father... We'll tell you he's no longer with us, but he would say to me, the reason he became a Republican is he blamed LBJ for Vietnam and the death of his best friend.
His best friend died in a training accident after being drafted to go into Vietnam. I'll never forget when I was going through my dad's things. He had a whole file folder on every time he had to deal with potentially going to Vietnam. And he didn't have to go. And he didn't want to go. He had a medical deferment at first. He had flat feet.
And then when that didn't work, he got lucky with his lottery number. But what was interesting is how he had saved all of that. And he had all this information. And I'll tell you why it had a huge impact on me.
Anytime any of these guys that have run for office over the last 20 years, 30 years, who claim they couldn't remember how they got out of Vietnam or couldn't remember this or couldn't remember that, all I would remember is my dad's file folder. And I'm like, if you were that concerned about getting out of Vietnam, you knew every gosh darn detail of how you got out. Oder was es nehmen würde.
Und ich werde es euch sagen, ich habe mich immer mehr als eine harsche Person auf irgendwelche Politiker gesetzt, die sagen würden, schau, ich begrüße niemanden, der versucht hat, davon herauszukommen. Und es sind diese Erfahrungen. Und in vielen Fällen waren viele Baby-Boomer-Politik entweder definiert oder redefiniert durch den Einfluss der Vietnam-Ware.
Also, meine Gäste heute sind Brian Knappenberger. Er ist der Mann hinter dem unglaublichen Dokument, das jetzt überall auf Netflix steht, Turning Point, über Vietnam. And John Negroponte, who is, of course, a longtime ambassador, mostly in Republican national security circles. He was in Vietnam from 64 to 68. He was there.
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