Who gets to define what it means to be American?

In the prologue of “All We Say: The Battle for American Identity” author Ben Rhodes asks two questions that get right to the heart of this battle. What does it mean to be an American? And who gets to decide? As we approach our 250th anniversary, these are questions that many Americans are also deeply contemplating. How have 15 speeches shaped and reflected that debate over history? And can they help us understand our ongoing and evolving search for a national identity? Ben Rhodes, a former national security advisor and speech writer to President Barack Obama, joins The Excerpt to share his insights. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@usatoday.com . Episode transcript available here . See Privacy Policy at and California Privacy Notice at .

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Who gets to define what it means to be American? is an episode from 5 Things by USA TODAY The Excerpt.

This episode is 00:19:48 long.

This episode was published on Jun 1, 2026.

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