The Preamble

Latest Episodes:

The Pentagon Papers, Why Nobody Wants Venezuelan Oil, and Answers to Your Questions Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

The story you didn’t know: The Pentagon Papers. Politics Professor Casey Burgat tells us about the government lies, coverup, and the reporters who exposed all of it. Then Sharon talks with economist and Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman about the lies you often hear about immigration and its effects on the economy, why American oil companies actually don’t want Venezuelan oil, and his predictions for the 2026 economy.

Plus Sharon answers your most pressing questions:

What Happens Now with Venezuela?
Was Removing Nicolás Maduro Illegal?
Can the US take Greenland by force?

If you’d like to submit a question, head to thepreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there.

And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join hundreds of thousands of readers who still believe understanding is an act of hope.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

(00:00:00) The Pentagon Papers with Casey Burgat

(00:16:55) Interview with Paul Krugman

(00:30:48) Q&A

Margaret Taylor, From Army Wife to Reluctant First Lady Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

Margaret “Peggy” Taylor was a true pioneer woman, so the White House was never the life she wanted. She spent decades roughing it at remote army posts, surviving war, illness, and devastating loss alongside her soldier husband. When Zachary Taylor became president, Peggy quietly stepped away from Washington society, choosing instead to focus on her faith and family. It’s a reminder that not every First Lady wanted the job.

If you’d like to submit a question for Sharon to answer, head to ThePreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there.

And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join hundreds of thousands of people who still believe understanding is an act of hope.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Sarah Polk’s Power Behind the Presidency Dec 29, 2025

Show notes

Sarah Polk was one of the most politically powerful women of her era. From running her husband’s political operation behind the scenes to mastering the art of influence, she knew exactly how power worked. She shaped her husband’s presidency, set social rules in the White House, and proved that ambition didn’t have to be loud to be effective. This is the story of a woman who changed American politics.

If you’d like to submit a question for Sharon to answer, head to ThePreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there.

And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join hundreds of thousands of people who still believe understanding is an act of hope.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

America’s Most Overlooked First Lady, Anna Harrison Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

America’s shortest presidency produced one of its most overlooked First Ladies. Anna Harrison didn’t even make it to the White House before William Henry Harrison skipped wearing a coat to his inauguration, caught a cold, and died from pneumonia just 31 days later. Shaped by revolution and a New York education, Anna defied expectations, from eloping against her father’s wishes to running school on the Ohio frontier. Her story is a reminder that history is often shaped by the women it overlooks.

If you’d like to submit a question for Sharon to answer, head to ThePreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there.

And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join hundreds of thousands of people who still believe understanding is an act of hope.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

The Chains We Forge In Life, How Religious Is the US, and Hanukkah at the White House Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

A warning to anyone engaged in demeaning rhetoric: How do you want to be remembered after you’re gone? Like Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, it’s not too late to change.

Plus, Sharon is joined by political and data scientist, and stand-up comedian, Andrea Jones-Rooy for a fun discussion about data literacy. You’ll learn how to spot manipulation and political spin in headlines and news stories before they fool you.

And then, when did Hanukkah become a tradition in the White House? From the first outdoor menorah lighting, to a fire emergency in the Oval Office, you’ll hear the history of the holiday in the People’s House.

If you’d like to submit a question for Sharon to answer, head to ThePreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there.

And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join the 350,000 people who still believe understanding is an act of hope.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

How Beavers Built America, The 5 Habits of Hope, And Jackie Kennedy’s Christmas Legacy Dec 08, 2025

Show notes

Before railroads, revolutions, or even the idea of America itself, one animal with a grudge against running water built the foundations of our country. The beaver didn’t just shape rivers — it shaped history, and even sparked a war.

Then Sharon talks with psychologist and author Dr. Julia Garcia, whose new book The Five Habits of Hope offers a practical way to find your way back to hope, especially when life feels heavy.

Plus, how Jackie Kennedy reinvented Christmas at the White House, and began a tradition that still lives on today.

If you’d like to submit a question for Sharon to answer, head to ThePreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there.

And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join the 350,000 people who still believe understanding is an act of hope.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

America’s Rising Sun Moment, Why You’re More Powerful Than You Think, And Memorable Moments of White House Holidays Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

Even the Founding Fathers had their doubts about the future of the country, but Benjamin Franklin chose to see its promise. We’ll explain how one chair gave him the answer he was searching for.

Plus, Sharon talks with philosopher Alex Madva, co-author of ⁠Somebody Should Do Something⁠, about why so many of us feel powerless, but there’s more common ground in America than we think. So what can we do about it? He’ll tell us.

And the history of White House holiday traditions, from Adams to Eisenhower, complete with snow ball fights, Christmas trees with actual lit candles on them, and a terrifying Christmas Eve fire in the West Wing.

If you’d like to submit a question for Sharon to answer, head to ⁠ThePreamble.com/podcast⁠ – we’d love to hear from you there.

And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ⁠ThePreamble.com⁠ – it’s free! Join the 350,000 people who still believe understanding is an act of hope.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

The Most Chaotic Election in American History Was Saved by an Irish Immigrant, and a Conversation with Congressman James Clyburn Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

Meet the Irish immigrant who used fireplace tongs to fight a member of Congress, was thrown in jail for insulting a president, and ultimately changed the course of American history.

Plus, Sharon talks with powerful Democratic Congressman James Clyburn in a wide-ranging conversation that touches on the drama currently happening in the House, his life growing up as a Black child in the south, and why people of color need something other than equality. They discuss his new book, The First Eight, on the eight Black Congressmen who came before him and the gripping parallels between post-Civil War America and today. It’s an interview that’s equal parts history lesson, warning, and inspiration — and even touches on Clyburn’s personal relationship with one of Sharon’s favorite historical figures: Septima Clark.

If you’d like to submit a question, head to ThePreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there.

And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join the 350,000 people who still believe understanding is an act of hope.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Presenting unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to unPAUSED, the podcast where bold, unfiltered conversations take place about what it really takes for women to thrive in the second half of life. Every week, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Certified Menopause Practitioner, and #1 New York Times best-selling author, tackles the conversations women actually need to hear. Dr. Haver sits down with a variety of medical experts, CEOs, and risk-takers to discuss everything that matters, from hormones and identity to financial power, relationships, and the tools needed to build the life you want. unPAUSED is about reclaiming your healthspan—not just the number of years you live, but the number of years you live well.

How Hard Can It Be, Boys Do It? Plus, Fighting for Equal Rights After the Civil War, and Answers to Your Questions Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

It’s not something you’ll read about in most history books. Sharon tells the remarkable story of Florence Hall and her Women’s Land Army: the women who took over the farming jobs American men left behind when they went off to fight World War II. These women weren’t just fill-ins, in many cases, the farms they worked on were even more successful than when the men were doing the work.

Plus, Sharon is joined again by Akhil Reed Amar, one of the nation’s foremost constitutional scholars, to talk about his newest book, Born Equal, and the battle over who had the right to call themselves American citizens after the Civil War. If you’ve been wanting to learn more about birthright citizenship, this conversation is for you.

And Sharon answers your most pressing questions: