# Jean Becker & Tom Collamore: "Don't Tell The President"

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437/jean-becker-tom-collamore-don-t-tell-the-president
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437/jean-becker-tom-collamore-don-t-tell-the-president.md
Podcast: [Book Club with Michael Smerconish](https://stenobird.com/podcast/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437)
Published: 2026-02-13T17:39:54+00:00
Episode link: https://www.siriusxm.com
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/sxm.simplecastaudio.com/e3dd7ada-28ed-4fb2-9a98-2aa2a4696c24/episodes/ae27a10b-b68d-492a-8d0c-7b0e51ad3fe9/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=e3dd7ada-28ed-4fb2-9a98-2aa2a4696c24&awEpisodeId=ae27a10b-b68d-492a-8d0c-7b0e51ad3fe9&feed=Xjj1yH0V
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Duration seconds: 2272

## Resource

What really goes into a presidential visit? In this episode of Book Club, Michael sits down with Jean Becker and Tom Collamore to discuss their new book, "Don’t Tell the President: The Best, Worst, and Mostly Untold Stories from Presidential Advance." From George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama, Becker and Collamore pull back the curtain on the high-stakes world of “advance” work — the behind-the-scenes operatives who plan every detail of a president’s public appearances. The conversation features unforgettable stories, including the controversy over a papal backdrop, the infamous Dukakis tank photo, assassination attempts on President Ford, a royal riser mishap with Queen Elizabeth II, and even Smerconish’s own unexpected detour into a Brussels brothel while advancing Vice President Bush. It’s a candid, entertaining, and revealing look at the moments that shaped presidential history — and the unsung professionals who made (and sometimes nearly broke) them. Original air date 11 February 2026. The book was published on 3 February 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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