--- title: "Clinton, Bush and Obama write presidential essays excluding Trump and Biden" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/clinton-bush-and-obama-write-presidential-essays-excluding-trump-and-biden" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/clinton-bush-and-obama-write-presidential-essays-excluding-trump-and-biden" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/clinton-bush-and-obama-write-presidential-essays-excluding-trump-and-biden.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/clinton-bush-and-obama-write-presidential-essays-excluding-trump-and-biden" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-09T02:46:25.195Z" source_reported: "2026-08-08T21:04:39.000Z" updated: "2026-08-09T02:46:25.195Z" trust_score: 82 critic_score: 68 hype_score: 32 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-09T03:45:40.811663+00:00" --- # Clinton, Bush and Obama write presidential essays excluding Trump and Biden *A 250th-anniversary series curated by the archivist Trump fired features essays on 43 presidents and 30 first ladies* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 82 of 100, higher is better. 18 independent outlets corroborate. - Craft 68 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports provide direct quotes. - Hype 32 of 100, lower is better. Headlines emphasize Trump omission. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The In Pursuit project is a 250th-anniversary series featuring essays on 43 U.S. presidents and 30 first ladies, published weekly into December 2026. - George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton wrote essays for the project, which excludes Donald Trump and Joe Biden as too recent for historical appraisal. - Colleen Shogan, the U.S. archivist fired by Trump in 2025, is curating the project, which aims to present nonpartisan lessons from American history. - Some essays, including Bush’s on George Washington, address themes of power and democracy without naming Trump but with clear contemporary parallels. Three former U.S. presidents, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, contributed essays to the In Pursuit project, a series marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. The project features 73 essays on 43 presidents and 30 first ladies, published chronologically and weekly until December 2026. Donald Trump and Joe Biden were not included in the series. The project’s curator, Colleen Shogan, said the decision was made to exclude presidents considered too recent for historical appraisal. Shogan, the former U.S. archivist, was fired by Trump in February 2025 without explanation. She told the Associated Press that contributors were instructed to avoid partisan or ideological framing. The project is organised by More Perfect, a nonpartisan alliance of presidential centres, academics and democracy-focused organisations. Other contributors include Chief Justice John Roberts, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Karl Rove and historian Michael Beschloss. The essays address both the successes and failures of past presidents, a contrast to Trump’s calls for federal institutions to adopt patriotic interpretations of history. ## What the reports agree on All 19 reports confirm that the In Pursuit project includes essays by Clinton, Bush and Obama. They agree that Trump and Biden were excluded as too recent for historical assessment. The project’s nonpartisan intent, its curation by Shogan, and its publication schedule into December 2026 are also undisputed. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mentioned Colleen Shogan’s firing by Trump or her role as curator of the project. The centre-rated digests did not carry the contemporary parallels drawn in the essays, such as Bush’s focus on Washington’s humility or McChrystal’s emphasis on “law over loyalty.” The left-rated digests did not include the full list of contributors beyond the three former presidents. > Everybody took those instructions and that guidance very seriously. The goal was for all Americans to feel welcome to be able to read these lessons and essays and learn something from them. > > — Colleen Shogan, former U.S. archivist and In Pursuit project curator ## Who covered it Shares of the 19 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 47% (9) - Centre: 42% (8) - Right: 11% (2) 0 of 19 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-09T03:45:40.811663+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-09T04:45:16.731Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The nine left-rated digests and the two full reports from the Associated Press and Washington Top News led on the project’s nonpartisan framing and its exclusion of Trump and Biden. The Associated Press report quoted Shogan’s statement that the goal was for all Americans to “feel welcome to be able to read these lessons and essays and learn something from them.” - The left-rated reports highlighted the contemporary parallels in the essays, particularly Bush’s focus on George Washington’s voluntary relinquishment of power. The Associated Press described Bush’s essay as difficult to read “without thinking of Trump’s reluctance to cede power after his 2020 election defeat.” The reports also noted the project’s contrast with Trump’s calls for patriotic historical narratives. ### Centre - The eight centre-rated digests led on the involvement of the three former presidents and the project’s 250th-anniversary framing. Fortune’s digest noted that Shogan, the archivist Trump fired, was curating the project. The centre-rated reports carried the detail that the essays cover 43 presidents and 30 first ladies, and that they are published weekly into December. - None of the centre-rated digests mentioned the contemporary parallels drawn in the essays, such as Bush’s focus on Washington’s humility or McChrystal’s emphasis on “law over loyalty.” The project’s nonpartisan intent and Shogan’s role were included, but without the emphasis on Trump’s absence seen in left-rated reports. ### Right - The two right-rated digests from the New York Post and Breitbart led on the participation of Clinton, Bush and Obama in the project. Neither digest mentioned Shogan’s role as curator or the reason for her firing. Both noted that the essays cover presidents back to George Washington but did not highlight the exclusion of Trump and Biden or the contemporary parallels in the essays. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 11 - veryHigh: 6 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/08/08/us-news/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-pen-essays-on-us-presidents) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama pen essays on US presidents - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/clinton-bush-obama-president-essays-in-pursuit-b3029822.html) — Bush, Obama and Clinton write about presidents as Trump goes unmentioned - [Fortune](https://fortune.com/2026/08/08/shogan-fired-archivist-ex-presidents-essays) — The U.S. archivist Trump fired last year got Obama, Bush and Clinton to write about giving up power - [Ottumwa Courier](https://ottumwacourier.com/news/national_news/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists/article_afbbf425-e337-5a19-b5a9-f44493ac2d13.html) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [McAlester News-Capital](https://mcalesternews.com/region/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists/article_4b4b15d0-37ef-5247-9d71-0da2590d4152.html) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [Hometown News LP](https://hngnews.com/nation_world/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists/article_1cb9ba9a-e7e2-5ffe-940f-f3c7eeae210f.html) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [Yakima Herald-Republic](https://yakimaherald.com/news/nation_and_world/nation/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists/article_e1bfab94-545e-51b9-9cde-5140cc09e18e.html) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [SooLeader.com](https://sooleader.com/michigan-news-ap/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists-on-presidents-12643893) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [HuffPost](https://huffpost.com/entry/trump-obama-bush-clinton-president-essays_n_6a773f6de4b0d2a3b777fc5a) — Trump Goes Unmentioned But Not Ignored As Clinton, Bush And Obama Step Up As Essayists On Presidents - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/08/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists-on-presidents) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists-on-presidents/article_e416cb15-8cb4-5e75-8eba-7c135e4589af.html) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists-on-presidents) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/archivist-bush-clinton-obama-trump-essays-presidency-14a0ba0c2fc66ab79abfba0a85f7e499) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [Daily News-Record](https://dnronline.com/associated_press/national/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists/article_d7336204-db7b-5234-bf29-c7a9802498ca.html) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/politics/2026/08/08/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists-on-presidents) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [Bangor Daily News](https://bangordailynews.com/2026/08/08/nation/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists-on-presidents) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/news/world/united-states/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists-on-presidents/article_28b275ae-a13a-5481-a4ff-22a94d0d98eb.html) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/08/08/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists-on-presidents) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents - [Breitbart](https://breitbart.com/news/trump-goes-unmentioned-but-not-ignored-as-clinton-bush-and-obama-step-up-as-essayists-on-presidents) — Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents ## Questions **Why were Trump and Biden excluded from the In Pursuit project?** The In Pursuit project excluded Donald Trump and Joe Biden because both were judged too recent for historical appraisal. The project’s curator, Colleen Shogan, said the decision was made to set aside the passions of the current political moment and focus on presidents whose legacies could be assessed with historical perspective. **Who is curating the In Pursuit project?** Colleen Shogan, the former U.S. archivist, is curating the In Pursuit project. Shogan was fired by Donald Trump in February 2025 without explanation. She told the Associated Press that the project aims to present nonpartisan lessons from American history for all Americans to learn from. **What themes do the essays in the In Pursuit project address?** The essays in the In Pursuit project address themes of power, democracy and the integrity of the presidency. Some essays, such as George W. Bush’s on George Washington, focus on the voluntary relinquishment of power, while others, like Stanley McChrystal’s on Ulysses S. Grant, emphasise the choice between law and personal loyalty. **Which outlets reported on the contemporary parallels in the essays?** The left-rated reports, including the Associated Press and Washington Top News, highlighted contemporary parallels in the essays. They noted that Bush’s essay on George Washington’s humility was difficult to read without thinking of Trump’s reluctance to cede power after the 2020 election. The centre and right-rated digests did not mention these parallels. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/clinton-bush-and-obama-write-presidential-essays-excluding-trump-and-biden. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Clinton, Bush and Obama write presidential essays excluding Trump and Biden", https://mediabias.news/politics/clinton-bush-and-obama-write-presidential-essays-excluding-trump-and-biden