Introduction: Risks After Challenge (01:30)

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This episode of "Retro Report on PBS" examines how President Donald Trump's rhetoric on immigration echoes a California campaign from the 1990s. It also features segments on the space shuttle Challenger disaster, the infamous McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit, and how special forces have transformed military strategy.

Nativism Then and Now (09:57)

President Trump promised a border wall and instituted immigration policy that has separated immigrant families. This echoes a wave of anti-immigrant backlash that led to California’s Proposition 187. Leading up to the vote, undocumented immigrants were accused of stealing American jobs and exploiting taxpayer-funded resources.

Hot Coffee and Tort Reform (11:23)

Stella Liebeck famously sued McDonald's after she was burned by a beverage she had purchased there. This incident from 1992 stirred up debate regarding frivolous lawsuits; but experts say it is widely misunderstood, thanks to sensational coverage and opportunistic politicians.

Historic Rescue Missions (07:51)

America's reliance on Special Forces can be traced back to an Air France hijacking that occurred in the 1970s. The United States was inspired by Israeli commandos who killed the pro-Palestinian terrorists responsible for the act, leading to Operation Eagle Claw.

NASA and Acceptable Risk (18:34)

The space shuttle tragedies of 1986 and 2003 led to a greater understanding of “normalization of deviance,” a decline in standards that occurs in complex, bureaucratic organizations. The lessons were applicable the failure of levies during Hurricane Katrina and other man-made disasters.

When Cause Célèbres Backfire (04:36)

Vice President Mike Pence faced backlash after he signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act as governor of Indiana. Humorist Andy Borowitz believes he could have learned a thing or two from juice pitchwoman and anti-gay activist, Anita Bryant.

Credits: Risks After Challenger (00:31)

Credits: Risks After Challenger