He famously called television a “vast wasteland.” 

But Newton Minow's influence goes far beyond that iconic phrase. He's a World War II veteran and one-time Supreme Court clerk. He worked for Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson and was a key aide to President John F. Kennedy, serving as his FCC Chairman. And he recruited Barack Obama to work for his law firm, where the future U.S. president met his wife, Michelle. 

Minow, who also is a trustee emeritus at WTTW, was at the station earlier this week to talk with Geoffrey Baer for a station history project. While he was here, we asked him to weigh in on some current political issues, starting with his thoughts about the current Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump.

Minow also discusses his issues with the presidential primary process, the upcoming presidential debates, the stalemate in Springfield, and more.

In May, a documentary chronicling Minow’s life, Newton Minow: An American Story, made its debut. Watch the film below.