Drill, baby, drill!
Witness History2 Jul 2025

Drill, baby, drill!

Judging by how often US President Donald Trump has repeated the slogan “Drill, baby, drill”, you might think he coined it. But the phrase actually dates back to 2008.

It was at the Republican National Convention that former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele first used it, arguing the United States needed to become energy independent.

The slogan, the result of what Michael describes as a late-night epiphany, quickly entered the mainstream of American politics - adopted by a range of politicians in the years that followed. He shares his memories of that moment with Marco Silva.

This programme contains archive from: C-SPAN, PBS Newshour, Fox News, and CNN.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Michael Steele. Credit: Getty Images)

Episoder(2000)

The right to drive in Saudi Arabia

The right to drive in Saudi Arabia

In 2011, cybersecurity expert Manal Al-Sharif helped found the Women2Drive movement. It was designed to force the Saudi Arabian government to overturn its ban on women driving cars - one of the many r...

22 Des 20219min

Rudolf Nureyev defects

Rudolf Nureyev defects

In 1961 the great ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev stunned the world by defecting from the Soviet Union. Nureyev escaped his KGB minders at an airport in Paris - with the help of French dancer Pierre Laco...

21 Des 202110min

Tanzania's first elected albino MP

Tanzania's first elected albino MP

How opposition politician Salum Barwany overcame discrimination and fear to become the first albino elected to office in Tanzania in 2010. Albinism is a genetic condition caused by a lack of the pigme...

20 Des 202110min

Bangladesh wins independence

Bangladesh wins independence

In December 1971, Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan after nine months of war.Dr Kamal Hossain, a leading political figure, was jailed during the conflict and only released shortly after the Be...

17 Des 20219min

On the front line in Bangladesh

On the front line in Bangladesh

When Bangladesh fought for independence from Pakistan, thousands of Pakistani troops were sent to fight in what was then called East Pakistan. In 1971, Shujaat Latif was sent to the town of Jassore wh...

16 Des 20219min

Rape as a weapon in Bangladesh

Rape as a weapon in Bangladesh

During the war of independence in Bangladesh in 1971, Pakistani troops and their local collaborators used systematic rape as deliberate tactic. It's estimated that hundreds of thousands of Bengali wom...

15 Des 202110min

The birth of Bangladesh

The birth of Bangladesh

In December 1970, Pakistan held its first democratic elections since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. The results would lead to war, the break-up of Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh. F...

15 Des 20219min

The Bengali language movement

The Bengali language movement

In February 1952 thousands of people marched in Dhaka in defence of the Bengali language. Eight of the protesters were shot dead by police. It became known as Bangladesh's Language Movement Day. We he...

13 Des 20219min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
konspirasjonspodden
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
popradet
grenselos
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
wolfgang-wee-uncut
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
fladseth
synnve-og-vanessa
min-barneoppdragelse
rss-dannet-uten-piano
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
alt-fortalt
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
den-politiske-situasjonen