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Trump's Tweets May Break Norms, But For Past Presidents, That's Normal

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(Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
(Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

President Trump says his tweets are "modern day presidential." But critics on both sides of the aisle may disagree, accusing the president of tweeting things that are "inconsistent with the greatness of the country" and "beneath the dignity of the President of the United States."

Historians Ed Ayers (@edward_l_ayers) and Joanne Freeman(@jbf1755) say past presidents have faced similar criticisms for everything from sex scandal to wearing slippers while meeting foreign dignitaries. Ayers and Freeman, co-hosts of the podcast BackStory, which is produced at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, will take a look at past presidents and the norms of decorum.

This segment aired on July 7, 2017.

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