Stepping Into Truman’s Shoes: Clifton Truman Daniel Brings “Give ’Em Hell, Harry!” Back to Key West

On Sunday, Feb. 15, and Monday, Feb. 16, actor Clifton Truman Daniel will step into the shoes of his grandfather, President Harry S. Truman, as he reprises the acclaimed one-man show “Give ’Em Hell, Harry!” in Key West, Fla.

Part of this year’s “Presidential Families Weekend and Forum” events, the performances will take place on the grounds of the Key West Harry S. Truman Little White House, where President Truman spent 11 working vacations. Written by Samuel Gallu and first performed in 1975 at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., the production offers a vivid, witty, and deeply human portrait of the 33rd president.

“Grandpa was a pragmatic and down-to-earth man,” Daniel says, “and one thing I’m certain of is that he never imagined anyone — let alone one of his grandchildren — portraying him in a stage production. Stepping into the role anywhere, there’s a deep appreciation and connection to family and legacy, but performing it in Key West is hands-down the most fun. It’s outdoors. Chickens wander across the stage. The bar is open and people are relaxed and in a good mood.”

Daniel, a professional actor with more than a dozen stage and television credits, began his theatrical career in Wilmington, North Carolina, while working as a journalist. Over 13 years he performed major roles ranging from Henry Higgins in “My Fair Lady” to Randle McMurphy in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Yet he had never attempted a one-man show before taking on his grandfather.

That happened after Daniel began presenting lectures about Truman and audience members commented on his resemblance to the former president. A friend with a theater background urged him to try the role, a director offered him a stage, and the actor embarked on a new relationship with his ancestor—as well as with his wife, Polly Bennett-Daniel, who performs the detailed makeup application that transforms him into Truman.

“In the beginning it was unbelievably intimidating,” he admits. “Eighty-three pages of dialogue and it’s just you — and it’s your own grandfather. I obsessed over the accent, the mannerisms, getting it right. The first eight shows were a blur.”

A man of diverse talents, Daniel has authored two books, worked as a news writer and editor, served in public relations, and is a Fellow of “Hibakusha Stories,” a United Nations NGO dedicated to preserving the voices of survivors of the Hiroshima bombing and promoting a nuclear-free world. He also serves as vice president of the Society of Presidential Descendants, a nonpartisan organization formed to encourage civic education and thoughtful stewardship of presidential legacies.

“As President Gerald Ford’s daughter Susan Ford Bales has emphasized, for descendants, the job seems to be two-fold,” Daniel says. “You take care of your ancestor’s legacy, but you also try to do something positive with it.” 

That sense of responsibility — and humanity — also shapes Daniel’s reflections on presidential leadership. In a recent essay, he wrote about the striking similarities between his grandfather and President Jimmy Carter, whose legacy is the focus of this year’s Presidential Descendants Forum on February 14.

Both men, Daniel notes, came from modest means, were honest to a fault, and remained devoted to their spouses throughout their lives. Both were farmers and small businessmen, served in the military, and entered politics because they believed they could make things better for others. Both championed civil rights, refused to profit from the presidency, and both remained approachable long after leaving office.

“For years Mr. Carter taught Sunday school every week in Plains, Georgia, and after his presidency, Grandpa often personally greeted visitors at the Truman Library,” Daniel recalls. “When he was President, Grandpa could sometimes be found in the White House kitchen having dinner with the staff.”
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Often humorous and frequently breaking the fourth wall, “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” offers a unique view into Truman’s childhood, his years as a Jackson County, MO, judge and a U.S. Senator, and two terms as President. One of multiple 2026 “Presidential Families Weekend and Forum” events set to take place at the Harry S. Truman Little White House from February 12-16, “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” is presented by the Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation with the support of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. For tickets and information visit www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.org/foundation/events/.