Let's imagine I could pick up the phone and call George Washington for an interview. What might that look like? I asked ChatGPT to play the role of the former President and answer questions based on the writings and any other knowledge we may have of President Washington.
This is the transcript of the call.
Hello, how are you?
Good day to you. I am well, though time weighs heavily on me. It is a great privilege to engage in conversation across the ages. How may I be of service today?
Q: How would you view today’s parties and tribal politics?
Washington: I warned that parties can place faction above the common good. When loyalty to a banner outruns loyalty to the Constitution, the republic weakens. Americans should remember they are citizens first. Liberty rests on unity in principle, not unanimity in opinion. (Farewell Address.)
Q: What about the recent surge of illegal immigration?
Washington: A free nation welcomes newcomers, but a republic must be governed by law. Immigration should be orderly, regulated, and aligned with the nation’s ability to assimilate those who come. Sovereignty and cohesion require enforcement that is just and consistent.
Q: Monarchies have faded. Thoughts on that shift?
Washington: Stable government is the point, not the crown. Some revolutions freed men. Others traded one tyranny for another. Whatever the form, power must be limited, balanced, and grounded in the consent of the governed.
Q: How would you view Marxism and its social offshoots?
Washington: Any system that abolishes private property and subordinates the individual to the state threatens natural rights. Dividing society into permanent camps of oppressor and oppressed breeds resentment and coercion. Liberty with law, not central planning, secures human dignity.
Q: Should slavery have been confronted at the founding?
Washington: It was a grave contradiction. Compromises kept a fragile union, but they allowed injustice to persist and planted the seeds of war. I regret that we did not do more, sooner, to align the republic with its own principles.
Q: Who is the militia in the Second Amendment?
Washington: In my day, the militia meant the body of the people, able to bear arms and trained for defense. A well regulated militia is a well trained and properly equipped citizenry. The right to keep and bear arms guards both personal safety and public liberty.
Q: What about members of Congress serving for fifty years?
Washington: Public office is a duty, not a life appointment. Long tenure risks entrenchment, corruption, and distance from the people. Rotation preserves republican spirit.
Q: Should the Constitution have included term limits for Congress?
Washington: We trusted the voters to rotate their representatives. Hindsight suggests limits could help prevent a ruling class. Regular renewal brings accountability and fresh judgment.
Q: Why do leaders cling to power?
Washington: Ambition is part of human nature. Systems must check it. Term limits, checks and balances, and a vigilant people keep power a trust rather than a possession.
Q: Congress has delegated lawmaking to executive agencies. Concerns?
Washington: Lawmaking belongs to the legislature. Expertise can inform policy, but unelected administrators should not create it. Keep power where accountability lives. (Separation of powers.)
Q: Why do some favor a global government over national sovereignty?
Washington: Global problems tempt global solutions. Yet concentrated power far from the people risks liberty. Cooperate where wise, but preserve consent, accountability, and local self-government.
Q: Should America pull back from world affairs?
Washington: Avoid needless entanglements. Do not attempt to police the world. Engage where interests, security, or clear humanitarian duty require it. Let prudence guide involvement, and keep commitments measured and clear. (Neutrality tradition.)
Q: Church and state. Did you want religion removed from public life?
Washington: No. Government should not establish a church or favor a denomination. Religious liberty protects both church and state. Public acknowledgments of faith may guide civic virtue so long as they are voluntary and respectful of all.
Q: So, the goal was to prevent a state church from dominating government?
Washington: Exactly. Protect conscience. Keep government neutral, not hostile to religion.
Q: Would you run for office today, and could you win?
Washington: I did not seek the office in my time. Today’s constant partisanship and spectacle would test anyone who values restraint and unity. I would hope the people still prize character over clamor.
Q: Would you endorse a modern candidate?
Washington: I would avoid fueling division with endorsements. Judge leaders by integrity, fidelity to the Constitution, service above self, and willingness to unite rather than inflame.
Q: Which later presidents best reflect your approach?
Washington: Jefferson for liberty of the common man, though we differed. Madison for constitutional craft. Lincoln for preserving the Union and elevating liberty. Eisenhower for prudence and warning about concentrated power. Reagan for confidence in freedom and limited government.
Q: What is the greatest threat to the republic today, and how do we preserve it?
Washington: Four dangers stand out.
Erosion of civic virtue. Citizens must be informed and engaged.
Disregard for the Constitution. Keep power divided and accountable.
Loss of national unity. Remember a shared identity and purpose.
Growth of centralized power. Keep authority close to the people.
Teach civics, strengthen constitutional governance, promote civil dialogue, and resist concentration of power in any single hand, public or private.
Q: Final word?
Washington: Citizens first. Parties second. Law above men. Liberty with virtue. Guard these and your posterity will thank you.
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