reagan. >> ronald reagan would not be president were it not for rent nancy reagan. >> she supported and loved ronald reagan to such a degree, that it gave him the optimism and confidence to carry out his program and make the americans proud to be americans again. >> this was a real partnership for his career and the service of the nation. it's one from which we can all be very grateful, just as i am grateful for the privilege and pleasure of having known nancy reagan. >> you did a great job helping in your own way as a spouse to the president, as a first lady helping the cold war to end. that was good for everybody. >> she wanted her husband to go down in history as a great president, as a peacemaker. she does understand that with gorbachev, he potentially has a partner who could work with him on this. and she is just absolutely relentless in pushing for this to happen. she really was a lot more willing to trust the soviets then a lot of us were because she had a lot of faith in her husband's

reagan. what a legacy. she has set an example for all first ladies to follow. i'm excited to be here at the reagan library be here to time commemorating such an important moment for such a wonderful person like nancy running ronald reg would not have been who he was of it weren't for nancy reagan. >> she supported ronald reagan to such a degree it gave him the optimism and confidence to carry out his program make americans proud to be americans. >> it's a real partnership for his career in the service of the nation. it's one from which be grateful just as i am grateful for the privilege and pleasure of having no nancy reagan. >> she is helping south of the president and first lady during the cold war to an end. that was good for everybody. >> she wanted her husband to go down in history as a great president, as a peacemaker. she does understand that with gorbachev, he potentially had a partner who could work with him on this. she is absolutely relentless in pushing for this cabinet. she was a

tonight it is my honor to welcome you to the reagan library for the latest installment of the reagan foundation speaker series, a time for choosing. this is the tenth event in our series. it since last may we have heard from speaker paul ryan, vice president mike pence secretary mike pompeo, governor chris christie, ambassador nikki haley renowned reagan speech writer peggy newton, governor kristi noem, and senator tim scott. all have offered their perspectives on the path forward for our country, and for the party of reagan. now as the gop decides what path to pursue and grapples with some truly existential questions we feel this is the venue to address those issues. those questions are, what should it stand for? what's other republican philosophies we can all agree on? is there still room for reagan -esque optimism in the gop? it truly is a time for choosing. and that phrase, the title of our series, comes from the 1964 speech that launched ronald reagan's career and catapulted him to political stardom, governorships, and ultimately the presidency. it is a speech so important aroun

he was already with reagan in 1976. he was the chair and delegate at the republican convention in 40 years later it's reported he wrote ronald reagan for president just to send a message. the pragmatic leadership gets results and those results earned him an easy reelection which is no small feat. he was the first republican reelected in maryland since 1954, before he was born. by the way if you happen to catch recent video of him drinking with orioles fans during opening day last month it's not hard to see why he's so popular. that combined with the fact the term is coming to an end has people wondering will he try to repeat the tale of success in another city, perhaps one that is to say 35 miles from in annapolis? i doubt he will answer that tonight but we do expect an answer to the questions we posed to each and every one of the speakers, where does the party go from here. what can bring the party together. what path should it taken the time for choosing. to give us an answer please join me in welcoming the 67th gover

simply put, we would not have ronald reagan if we did not have nancy reagan. we would not have some of the things that make our state and our nation as precious and valuable as it is if we did not have nancy reagan. for him to have someone to come home to who knew his strengths, knew his weaknesses made him better on a daily basis as a service to the country we cannot repay. we cannot repay it in words alone at the celebration. but we can and honoring her and continuing the legacy of the reagan's. so on behalf of the now 11 republican members of congress representing california and washington d.c. want to thank the foundation, this beautiful graceland the library here for having us. we pay her respects on a daily basis. we will not ever forget what we came from. we will ever forget the sacrifices needed to make sure this country remains the best country in the world in the history of the world and continue the legacy of the reagan's throughout our lifetime. thank you for having us. [applause] thank you congressman if you would remain on stage for one more minu

i'm the director of the reagan institute. we are the home of the reagan foundation in washington, d.c. just across lafayette park from the white house. i hope all of you have the chance to come and visit someday. as is our tradition at the library in honor of our men and women who defend our freedom around the world, please stand and join me in the pledge of allegiance. >> i pledge of allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. please be seated. before we get started there's a couple people in the audience i would like to recognize. first the first lady of maryland. welcome. [applause] the executive director of the ronald reagan presidential foundation institute, my boss. [applause] tonight it's my honor to welcome you to the reagan library for the latest installment of the reagan foundation speaker series a time for choosing. this is the tenth even in the series. since last may we've heard from speaker pau

just like ronald reagan did. the divide in our party today really is a -- isn't ideological, it's a difference between those who know how to win and those who pretend they won. you know, enough of the angry rhetoric and the grievance politics. enough of the narcissism of small differences. we can't build a successful party by tearing it apart or burning it down and we can't restore america if we keep shrinking the tent and losing elections to the left. you know, americans will likely make big gains this year, simply because of the complete failures of the democrats in washington, but we can't let that fool us into complacency. the problems have that caused our party to repeatedly lose have not been addressed. it's easy to make excuses for the failures on our side by pointing out that the other side is often worse. but better than the democrats isn't good enough. that isn't a winning strategy or a long-term road map to success. americans are completely disgusted with the toxic politics and they're sick and tired o

just like ronald reagan did. the divide in our party today, really is a ideology, it is more of a distance between those who know how to win and those who pretend that they won. enough of the angry bash. enough of the small differences. we cannot build successful partt apart and tearing it down. we cannot restore america if we keep shrinking the tent. americans will likely make the games this year, simply because of the complete failures of the democrats in washington. we cannot let this full us into complacency. the problems will cost our party to repeatedly lose have not been addressed. it is easy to make excuses for the failures on our side by pointing out that the other side is often worse. but better than the democrats is not good enough. that is not a winning strategy or a long-term map to success. americans are completely disgusted with the toxic politics. they are sick and tired of all of the lies and excuses. excuses, lies and politics will not win elections, or restore america. only real leadership will

and reagan is a kind of exception. but what where there's a way in which as paul says populism rose to the forefront in the 1990s on the road. we don't think of the 90s that way now, but it was a time when the populism that had been held in a band since some ways really became the face of the right and response to clinton and otherwise, how do you think about the post reagan years? well, one of the big themes of my book is this relationship between conservatism and populism. and the irony that often times the only way conservatives get into power is through populist politics. which conservatives like buckley and meyer who i've mentioned were often ambivalent and kind of conflicted about. but this is clearly evident in the reagan election. populism being one of the driving forces of reagan's rise, but reagan able to synthesize populism with the supply side agenda with the interests of the religious right with the tax cutting defense buildup all the various factions of the american right as well. with his departure from

coming up -- raw pain for the reagan family. hinckley second fixation on actress, jody foster. >> the letters were assumed to be love letters. >> when dateline continues. letters. letters. >> i just love our new alexa. dad, it's a buick. i love that new alexa smell. it's a buick. we need snacks for the team. alexa, take us to the nearest grocery store. ctions. alexa will get us there in no time. it's a buick. let's be real. don't make me turn this alexa around. oh my. it's painful. the buick enclave, with available alexa built in. ask “alexa, tell me more about buick suvs.” alice loves the scent of gain so much, she wished there was a way to make it last longer. say hello to your fairy godmother alice and long lasting gain scent beads. try spring daydream, part of our irresistible scent collection. (rose h) smoking caused my lung cancer. they put this in me to drain the fluid. every day i prayed that they would remove it. my tip is be careful what you wish for. that chest tube hurt a lot more coming out... then it did going

reagan, how do you plead? >> guilty. >> mister president, how can a politician -- >> absolutely sensational, don't you think so? >> took the words right out of my mouth. [laughs] mrs. reagan, some people have suggested that you have been the driving force in your husband's career. you want to the presidency more than he did. >> i now, i read that to. it's not true. i thought i married an actor. [laughs] actually, he was asked to run for office soon after we got married, and he turned down. by the democrats, when he was still a democrat. when the governorship came along i went along with it but that wasn't something that i had carved up for our future! certainly, the presidency was not something that i said, you've got to do this! no, that isn't true. i think people get mixed up as far as i'm concerned with this whole thing on my pushing him. they don't understand that if he had decided to go into the shoe business i would be out pushing shoes! you know? whatever -- >> aren't you glad he didn't? >> yes, that wa

reagan, reagan, reagan. and as he's walking back, he trips over the dog. he looks down says, that's acute dog. what kind of dog visit? a bagel. [laughs] so, this is ronald reagan's approach, and he had characterized sort of a large part of where i am going to be going with my top. because, by the time reagan was president, humor was considered a necessary part of the political arsenal of a president, of a candidate. and this because, well, i told you this story, and no one would say it's an enormously clever story, but just enough to get a hot a little bit. recognizes recognizes from those years on rubber chicken circuit, that if this an audience that doesn't know you, if there's an audience that might be a little skeptical about the messages you are conveying, if you can get them to laugh, it loses them up. it makes them feel that you are a real person, and not simply this flak for ge. and, it worked for reagan and ge. it worked for reagan as governor, for reagan as president of the united states. and, it represented something of a combination of a trend

reagan came in, it was 70%. when reagan left, it was 28. poppa bush raised it to 31 with other tax hikes. bill clinton took it to perhaps 40. still below 70. george w. bush brought it back to 35. basically, the tax cuts stayed intact. they were not as low as 28 but basically stayed intact. but look -- with poppa bush, so many of us who helped vice president bush and tried to talk him out of raising taxes -- he said don't do it, don't do it, he did it and he lost the election. host: richard in brentwood, maryland. if you want a fuller, longer answer of that, this trick kudlow writes about that extensively in jfk and the reagan revolution. you and i were talking yesterday and you kind of have this happy warrior persona on the air. i was surprised you had called mr. biden. guest: it's just not my way. i gave him a chance and then i looked at the leftward lurch in his policies. for me to get personal like that is very unusual. host -- can we take a break? host: we could. i can keep talking and read some text or some

he did what reagan reagan i think reagan. i i haven't researched enough but reagan believed, you know way to assemble the governance you surround yourself with good people and then you let them do their jobs fdr had that same approach toward the war and if you think about it. all the brilliant men who had serving in wartime. he had eisenhower and he had nimitz he had king and he had patent and he had marshall and he had macarthur and he had so many others omar bradley so many other superb military leaders, and he didn't interfere he would meet with them. he would ask questions for them, but he didn't interfere. he'd let them conduct the war they saw fit and that was what his real brilliance was in in conducting the war of world war two, but you know, he was he was for all intensive purposes. he was not just president of states during world war two he was president of the world. he we were not only supplying the us service man, but we were surprised supplying the british service man, and we were supplying the soviet service ma

reagan, i think reagan, i have not researched enough but reagan believed the way to a simpler government is surrounding yourself with good people and let them do their jobs. fdr had that same approach towards the war, and if you think about it, all of the brilliant man who we had serving in wartimemhe had eisenhower, he had nimitz, he had king, he had patton, marshall, mcarthur. he had so many others, omar bradley. superb military leaders. he did not interfere. he would meet with them, he would ask questions for them. but, he did not interfere. he let them conduct the war in the way they saw fit. that was his real brilliance in conducting the war of world war ii. you know, he was, for all intents and purposes, he was not just president of the states during world war ii. he was president of the world. we were not only supplying u.s. servicemen, we were supplying the british servicemen and we were supplying the soviet servicemen. we were sending them foodstuffs, material, uniforms, whatever they needed, we were supplying them. so, he was running a global war. he was coming as the varsity o

and they start walking back and he repeats to himself, reagan, reagan,, reagan. and as he's walking back, he again trips over the top. until it's down there and says, that's acute dog, what kind of top is it? >> a bagel. [laughter] so. this is, this is ronald reagan's approach. and it characterizes sort of the large part of where i'm going to be going with my talk because by the time reagan was president humor was considered a necessary part of the political arsenal of a president and also pretended it and this because well you know i told you this story no one would say it's an enormously clever story bridges enough to get a ha ha ha a little bit. reagan recognized from those years on the rubber chicken circuit that if there is an audience that does [inaudible] if there's an audience that might be a little bit skeptical about the message that you are conveying, if you can't get them to a laugh it loosens them up. it makes them feel that you are a real person and not simply this flak for ge. and it worked for ge, for reagan's governor, for recognize president of

reagan came in, it was 70%. when reagan left, it was 28. poppa bush raised it to 31 with other tax hikes. bill clinton took it to perhaps 40. still below 70. george w. bush brought it back to 35. basically, the tax cuts stayed intact. they were not as low as 28 but basically stayed intact. but look -- with poppa bush, so many of us who helped vice president bush and tried to talk him out of raising taxes -- he said don't do it, don't do it, he did it and he lost the election. host: richard in brentwood, maryland. if you want a fuller, longer answer of that, this trick kudlow writes about that extensively in jfk and the reagan revolution. you and i were talking yesterday and you kind of have this happy warrior persona on the air. i was surprised you had called mr. biden. guest: it's just not my way. i gave him a chance and then i looked at thehost: our book tv h program continues from larry kudlow's library in connecticut. we want to hear from you. 202 is the area code. 202-748-8201 if you live in mountain and pa

the reagan centennial. and he was a great friend a great leader and certainly has been extraordinary in transforming the work of the reagan foundation and preserving and continuing to advance the legacy of our 40th president of the united states. so congratulations john for your great achievement. joining john on stage or my friend jean becker former chief of staff to president george hw bush and first lady barbara bush lewis picone historian and board trustee for the groveland cleveland birthplace memorial association and author of grant's tomb the epic death of ulysses s grant and the making of an american pantheon. and nicola longford executive director of the sixth floor museum at dealey plaza, nicola. thank you for welcoming. so many of our guests the other day to your wonderful museum, please welcome us. and our panel as we continue the mornings program. thank you so much stewart as stuart mentioned he and i've had the chance to work. in the past both at the red cross and stuart was just an absolutely

reagan's was just as thick. >> can i just add, quickly, that after president reagan died, after president ford died, after nancy reagan died, all -- joanne wrote long memos to be. president ford, who the man in charge of his funeral, a man named greg willard wrote me a long memo -- they became my bible of how to do a funeral. it saved my life. and i did the same for the chiefs of staff of president bush 43, obama, clinton, and carter. i wrote these this long memo, what went right, what went wrong, and we can talk about later some of those big challenges. but those memos saved my life. >> yeah. in a moment we'll talk about the sharing of those memos. but this is one of those, the best laid plans of mice and men -- and i want to put a photo up and ask jean to comment. here we go. jeanne, best laid plans. sometimes there are surprises, big surprises that might occur, unexpected moments in presidential funerals. and this is just one. >> this is one of the best unexpected moments of president bush's funeral. if many of you will remember that president bush and bob dole were big political rival

reagan. how do you plead guilty? mr. president how good a politician is mrs. reagan? oh, absolutely don't you think so? the words right out of my mouth. i think she prompting you again. is reckon some people have suggested that you have been the driving force in your husband's career and that you wanted the presidency more than he did. yeah. i know i've read that too. not true. i i thought i married an actor. and actually, he was asked he was asked to run for office. soon after we got married and turned it down by the democrats when he sold democrat. and then when the governorship came along i went along with it, but that wasn't something that i had carved out for for our future and certainly the presidency wasn't something that i said you've got to do this. no that that isn't true. i think what people get mixed up. as far as i'm concerned and this whole thing of my my pushing pushing him. that they don't understand that. if he had decided to go into the shoe business, i'd be out pushing shoes. you know, whatever aren't you? glad he didn't yeah, that was my next point

trump, like reagan, not to the same degree of reagan, used the friends of freedom around the world to advance our own interests. that doesn't mean we don't stand in solidarity with those who had their freedom crushed. religious and ethnic minorities in china are facing genocide, but we also know, just like reagan did for polish solidarity, that it is a deep source of weakness and insecurity in beijing, therefore we should push on it because beijing is our energy -- enemy in the same way moscow was our enemy back in the day. russia has chosen to make the western world it's enemy in a hundred one different ways. those are different threats that require different actions. but we did nothing since 1991 that provoked russia or vladimir putin into taking the action. if you laid it out well in a long essay, it has turned into his speech on the eve of the invasion that use ukraine as a phony country that belongs to russia and always has, going back centuries and that he was going to restore it and that nothing america has done or refrain from doing provoked vladimir putin to invade ukraine. a

reagan's three-ring binder was almost as thick as that for president reagan a very sophisticated of set of events that we had to execute and as gene knows to win drake used to make it a practice. about once a year for eight nine years to approach mrs. reagan just to update the plan discuss it see if there were any changes that she'd want to make perhaps she might have changed her mind over the years and but i think first ladies give it a tremendous amount of attention. i'm gonna turn to in need of because she's in charge before i do before i do any because i think we got six seconds left. i wanted to just have gene comment on one particular photo that i know you you're gonna recognize as well that's good to talk about sully good that's president bushes after his bush died. he was sad and obviously. and we came up with the idea his his his medical aid arranged for him to have a service dog named sully who became quite famous and evan took this was taken the funeral home in houston. the day after president bush died and evan just took sully to the funeral home with him to go check on ever