This is CBS. I am the world. I'm John Bachelor. The President of the United States, Mr. Biden stepped aside.

And then I welcome Sidney Blumenthal, my

colleague of many years, the author of the political life of Abraham Lincoln.

I've had occasion to chat with Sydney on the three books published so

far of five in the overall set. Self-Made Man was one. with his angel was two and all the powers of earth is three

We're waiting four but in the meantime we can observe the 21st century not just the 19th

Sydney a very good evening to you you right most first century, not just the 19th.

Sydney, a very good evening to you.

You write most recently at The Guardian in your column

of the performance art of former President Donald Trump.

I reflected in your essay on what what I've thought

when I saw the entertainment. Twice I've seen the former president years apart and

each time there's been flag-hugging. You mentioned

Mike dropping or Mike grabbing. The performance art, how do you measure it now that we've seen it?

We saw it in 16, we saw it in 16 we saw it in 20 here it is in 24 doesn't

look to me it's changed much how's it doing good evening to you sit

uh... good evening it's always good to speak with you, John, and to reconnect and to talk about the 21st century, although the 19th century, of course, as both of us know continues to inform us. On Trump's

performance art it's wearing very thread there right now. It's the same old routine over and over again.

I'm reminded of a 1960 British film called The Entertainers starring Lawrence Olivier about a music hall hoofer who's washed up and tries again and again to manipulate people to get back on the stage.

And when he finally does, the audience has heard it all before and is bored.

They're indifferent. And that's part of Trump's problem right now.

His audience likes to hear it over and over again. He's like a golden oakese act traveling around the country and they only want the

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