Topic: Big Red One
Interview of Pat Roberts, October 14, 2025
Interviewed by Jackie Cottrell and Mike Seyfert
The interviewers were former staffers of the Congressman, and as such, were able to ask the right questions. The anecdotes are interesting and reflect much of the national and world news during his forty year tenure of service. Agriculture was a principal focus, since Roberts chaired the Agriculture committees in both the House and Senate. His anecdote about how the Freedom to Farm legislation came about is interesting, because the suggestion came from a farmer. Roberts also recounts a meeting with President Trump about crop insurance where he was able to convince Trump not to eliminate Show Moreit, which would have been a very negative policy for the President and America's farmers. There is an anecdote where Roberts had to tell President Bush that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction. Roberts' role in national intelligence was critical. Roberts had tremendous influence in his 40 years of service. He describes politics this way: "The first thing you’ve got to learn in politics is to listen, and the second thing is there’s no “I” in politics. It’s a “we” thing." Show Less