The Senator

On the 20th anniversary of the first U.S. strikes on Afghanistan, this three-part series explores President Biden's career as it intertwines with the war there. He ultimately chose to end the ‘forever war.’ But what role did he have in starting it?

Thursday, October 7, 2021
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In 1973, Joe Biden was elected to be the junior senator from the state of Delaware. On arriving in Washington, Biden is immediately thrust into the world of Cold War politics, and begins to develop his own perspectives on American power.

In 1979, the United States’ Cold War nemesis, the Soviet Union, invaded Afghanistan, prompting a swift response from the U.S. Biden, who sat on both the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees, was given a unique window into the American efforts to arm Afghan resistance fighters — a decision that would have major consequences for both Biden and the U.S. decades later.

On the 20th anniversary of the first U.S. strikes on Afghanistan, a new three-part series for the“Can He Do That?” podcast explores President Biden’s career as it intertwines with the war. He ultimately chose to end the‘forever war.’ But what role did he have in starting it?

In this first episode,“The Senator,” we follow Biden from his first years in the U.S. Senate through the end of the century, and explore how Biden, at first, became an ardent believer in American military might and nation building.

The second episode in this series publishes Oct. 14.
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The Senator

On the 20th anniversary of the first U.S. strikes on Afghanistan, this three-part series explores President Biden's career as it intertwines with the war there. He ultimately chose to end the ‘forever war.’ But what role did he have in starting it?

Thursday, October 7, 2021
Loading...
In 1973, Joe Biden was elected to be the junior senator from the state of Delaware. On arriving in Washington, Biden is immediately thrust into the world of Cold War politics, and begins to develop his own perspectives on American power.

In 1979, the United States’ Cold War nemesis, the Soviet Union, invaded Afghanistan, prompting a swift response from the U.S. Biden, who sat on both the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees, was given a unique window into the American efforts to arm Afghan resistance fighters — a decision that would have major consequences for both Biden and the U.S. decades later.

On the 20th anniversary of the first U.S. strikes on Afghanistan, a new three-part series for the“Can He Do That?” podcast explores President Biden’s career as it intertwines with the war. He ultimately chose to end the‘forever war.’ But what role did he have in starting it?

In this first episode,“The Senator,” we follow Biden from his first years in the U.S. Senate through the end of the century, and explore how Biden, at first, became an ardent believer in American military might and nation building.

The second episode in this series publishes Oct. 14.
Previous Episode

Journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa uncovered details about the tumultuous transition of power from President Trump to President Biden in their new book, "Peril." They reveal how close we came to constitutional and international crises.

Thursday, September 30, 2021
Next Episode

In the second episode of our series about President Biden and the War in Afghanistan, we look at the years after the Sept. 11 attacks when Biden called for a major nation-building effort. Over time, though, he begins to doubt his own instincts.

Thursday, October 14, 2021
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