Good Day citizens and welcome to What Would Jefferson do?

Our weekly opportunity to discuss current American events

with President Thomas Jefferson, who is seated across for me now.

Good day to you, Mr. Jefferson.

Good day to you, Citizen.

Mr. President, there's been a public outcry about an incident which occurred recently, our current president was overseas and

made some remarks that were interpreted as being fairly disparaging against American law enforcement agencies and

the judiciary. I wonder if anything like that happened during your time, sir,

if you could reflect on it. No, I don't think anything of that sort happened between my birth in 1743 and my death in 1826.

I do remember one incident at a lower level in which my protege James Monroe was serving as the American

minister to France.

He was impressed by the French Revolution and the Republic that was

emerging out of the chaos of the French Revolution and he gave public praise to what was occurring in France and that made George

Washington who was then the president very unhappy he recalled Monroe

because our official position was to be neutral in the face of the

cataclysm occurring in France and Monroe came back to this country in something like disgrace.

He wrote a very long defense of his actions.

He never forgave George Washington.

When you are a representative of this country,

whether you are a diplomat or a United States senator

or a governor or for that matter,

the president of the United States,

...