Thomas Paine to Obama: Why America’s “Original” Founder Still Matters Today

Updated: May 28, 2026 Introduction In this interview: “Paine knew this. He knew that he had to dissuade Americans from feeling any attachment to the king, to parliament, and to the idea of the British constitution.” Watch this section in the video below (00:04:56). From “Common Sense” to the “Crisis” papers, Thomas Paine challenged power […]