For today’s Reagan Forum podcast, we are going behind the scenes to share some of the inside stories of what we do here at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. The Reagan Library opened on November 4, 1991, but the groundbreaking was held three years earlier, in November 1988. November 21, 2023, marked the 35th anniversary of th…

40 years ago, the Russians were still on the march, just like today. Then, of course, it was known as the Soviet Union, and the threat they posed to the United States and Europe was unrelenting and terrifying. European leaders were begging President Reagan to do something, complaining that the presence of SS-20s armed with nuclear warheads felt lik…

On March 20, 2024, the Reagan Institute held its second annual National Security Innovation Base Summit in Washington, D.C. The event convened prominent thought leaders, current and former public officials, investors, and representatives of the most innovative industry and technology companies to discuss the important issues facing our annual Natio…

Today, the turmoil and civil war in the country of Haiti dominate the headlines. As of this writing, for three weeks, Haiti’s capital has been trapped in a gory cycle that far exceeds the kidnapping and gang violence for which it was already known. An insurgent league of heavily armed gangs is waging war on the city itself, seeking new territory an…

During his farewell address to the nation on January 11, 1989, President Reagan said, “An informed patriotism is what we want. And are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world?” Today, the Reagan Institute’s Center for Civics, Education, and Opportunity stands at the n…

At Eureka College, our 40th President participated in almost every sport. No, he wasn’t a candidate for the Olympic team. Ronald Reagan’s football coach Ralph McKinzie said, “Dutch was not an outstanding player but he was a good plugger with a lot of spirit and desire.” Besides football, he went out for the swimming team and became captain. He trie…

Just a few days ago, the nation celebrated April Fool’s Day. Although the day has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery. Some historians speculate that April Fools' Day dates back to 1582 when France switched from the Julian calendar (which begins its new year around April 1 each year) to th…

40 years ago, in the spring of 1984, President Reagan spent six days in the People’s Republic of China, visiting Beijing and Shanghai. To ease into the schedule, he was a week getting there and he spent another day and a half in Alaska afterward, meeting once more with Pope John Paul II. It was Ronald Reagan’s first trip to a Communist country and …

We know that Israel had no better partner/defender/protector than Ronald Reagan. And our 40th president never missed an opportunity to denounce anti-semitism, bigotry, or prejudice. In this era of strident anti-semitism, bigotry, and prejudice occurring in our nation today, we thought we should focus briefly on President Reagan’s campaign against h…

On March 8, 2024, the Reagan Foundation hosted a virtual event with bestselling author Craig Shirley. Craig Shirley is the author of four critically praised bestselling books on President Reagan, Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All, Rendezvous with Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the Campaign that Changed America, L…

Well, this podcast might be airing a few days after St. Patrick’s Day but bear with me. We’ve got an interesting radio address for you combining the President’s two favorite topics - briefly about St. Patrick’s Day and how America’s economic recovery was well underway. The President was at Camp David - it was a cold wintry March day, where he was t…

At the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, our education programs are dedicated to cultivating the next generation of citizen leaders. Each year, we work with thousands of teachers and tens of thousands of students from across the country to help foster the engaged, informed citizens that President Reagan knew were so vital to a he…

For thirty-five years -- through seven presidencies -- the United States and its allies labored unceasingly to contain Communism around the world. They used a broad range of diplomatic, military, and economic initiatives costing tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars. They used economic programs like the Marshall Plan, military alliance…

The Medal of Honor is the United States' highest award for military valor in action. At the time of this recording, only 3,536 military personnel have received this award since it was established during the Civil War, and there are fewer than 100 recipients living today. And while over 150 years have passed since its inception, the meaning behind t…

CPAC. Just those four letters bring to mind the crazy, dynamic conference it has become in recent years. Ronald Reagan first spoke as Governor Reagan in 1974 and ten years later in 1984, he relied on the same theme: unity coupled with America’s Divine charge. So in today’s podcast, we’ll listen to our 40th president at CPAC, speaking with four year…

In this week’s Reagan Forum podcast, we go back just over a week to our February 20, 2024, in-person program with Senator Rand Paul for a discussion on his latest book, Deception: The Great COVID Cover-up. A physician himself, Senator Rand Paul was one of the few leaders who dared to challenge what America was being told about COVID. In Deception, …

Well, we are in another Olympic year, with the summer Olympics taking place this July and August in Paris, France. 40 years ago, the President was excited to welcome athletes from the Winter Olympics, held in Sarajevo, then Yugoslavia, to the White House. It was the first Winter Olympic Games held in a Slavic language-speaking country, as well as t…

In this week’s Reagan Forum, we go back just three days to Presidents Day when we held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Reagan Library’s new Charters of Freedom Monument, the first in California to install the Monument. In addition to the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution, the Charters of Freedom Monument now al…

The complexity of dealing with problems in the Middle East was pervasive during the Reagan years but the 40th President continued to pursue a path to peace. In February 1984, he invited President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and King Hussein of Jordan to Washington to discuss the war in Lebanon and other issues. Things were hot in the Middle East. By ear…

Last week we brought to you our February 6, 2024, 113th birthday celebration for President Reagan with keynote remarks by Lech Walesa, the former President of Poland. In this week’s Reagan Forum, we are doing something a little different. We’re bringing you a playback of our live video from February 7th where we looked at past birthday celebrations…

Now that we’re into the month of February when lovers celebrate their devotion to one another, we’ll dedicate this podcast to the Reagans – first, we’ll hear a brief word from the President and then we’ll let Mrs. Reagan explain how she met this fella, in her own words, recorded years ago from her autobiography My Turn. But first, let’s start with …

February 6, 2024, marked the 113th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Wilson Reagan. He used to love to joke that each birthday was the anniversary of his 39th birthday, so 2024 would have marked the 74th anniversary of his 39th birthday! Since President Reagan’s passing on June 5, 2004, the Reagan Foundation has worked with the United States Marin…

40 years ago, Ronald Reagan traveled to his hometown in Dixon, Illinois for his 73rd birthday celebration on February 6th, 1984. True to form, the jokes were flying, as were the warm memories. He was there with his older brother, Neil, his sister-in-law, and of course, Nancy. They toured one of the homes the Reagan family had lived in during childh…

In 1984, while speaking at Memorial Day ceremonies honoring an unknown serviceman of the Vietnam Conflict, President Reagan said, “We know why he died. He saw the horrors of war but bravely faced them, certain his own cause and his country's cause was a noble one; that he was fighting for human dignity, for free men everywhere. Today we pause to em…

By the end of January every year, except for Inaugural years, the President fulfills his or her constitutional duty to "give to the Congress information on the State of the Union" (Article II, section 3 of the Constitution). So yes, today’s podcast will focus on the infamous State of the Union address which generally includes reports on the nation'…

As part of our Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. exhibit, the Reagan Foundation has been hosting authors whose books cover the atrocities of the holocaust, mainly told through survivor’s eyes. In this week’s Reagan Forum podcast, we go back to our in-person event with Audrey Birnbaum, who shares with us the story of her grandfather and his tim…

Well, now that we’re into football playoff season, we have the perfect opportunity to focus on Ronald Reagan’s love for football. His experience in high school on the gridiron helped him audition for radio. Let's let him tell the story.By itunes@reaganfoundation.org (Reagan Foundation)

In this week’s “A Reagan Forum” we present former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Speaker Gingrich is well known as the architect of the “Contract with America” that led the Republican Party to victory in 1994, creating the first conservative majority in the House in 40 years. He is also recognized internationally as an expert on world history,…

Forty years ago in January 1984, our 40th President delivered an address to the nation and other countries on the status of US-Soviet relations. Things weren’t too rosy then – recall that Andropov was still in power, unapologetic about the massacre of KAL 007, or anything else. Until Gorbachev came into office in March 1985, that’s early in his sec…

Over the last month we have shared with you two of our keynotes at last month’s Reagan National Defense Forum. We shared with you the Forum’s keynote address with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as well as the fireside chat with Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. In this week’s Reagan Forum Podcast we are going to share the Forum’s final panel…

Today’s subject? The President’s diplomatic efforts with China in 1984. Yes, in those years, there were positive diplomatic efforts. In fact, the administration developed a relationship with Ziyang who was a reformer, in office from 1980 to 1987. Shortly after George Shultz became Secretary of State, he completed an initiative with Ziyang in August…

For the last nine months, we have been bringing you programming as part of our Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. exhibit. Now that the exhibit is almost over, we wanted to share some of the most memorable interviews we’ve held with survivors and their family members over the past year. Each one is unique in its own way – told by survivors of m…

Throughout Ronald Reagan's presidency, the subject of Cuba was frequently raised. In frustration, on one occasion, the president asked, “When’s the last time you heard someone swimming TO Cuba?” But long before he sat in the Oval Office, President Reagan commented on a documentary that had been crafted on Cuba, in order to bring attention to the id…

In this week’s Reagan Forum podcast we back to our in-person event with Nechama Birnbaum, who shares with us the story of her grandmother and her time in Auschwitz in Nechama’s latest book, The Redhead of Auschwitz: A True Story. During this program, Nechama sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute Chief Marketing Officer Melis…

So just imagine. You’re the president, it’s late in December 1983. You’ve delivered your evil empire speech in March putting the Soviets on notice… you’ve learned by detailed intelligence reports that the communists and Fidel Castro are expanding their efforts in the Caribbean along with infiltrating the island of Grenada….you’ve announced your Str…

Two weeks ago we came to you with our Reagan National Defense Forum keynote address with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Today we will share our fireside chat with Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. This was the Defense Forum’s first time hosting the Secretary of Commerce and we were honored to host her. Under Secretary Raimondo’s leadership, …

Do you remember Spacelab? Or perhaps the question should be, what do you recall about Spacelab? In case you’re a little foggy on this one, here’s a little history: during the development of the Space Shuttle in the 1970’s, NASA recognized the need for a facility to allow scientists to conduct experiments on the Shuttle while in orbit. So under a co…

As part of our Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. exhibit, the Reagan Foundation has been hosting authors whose books cover the atrocities of the holocaust, mainly told through survivor’s eyes. In this week’s Reagan Forum podcast we back to our in-person event with Richard Hurowitz for a different look at the Holocaust – this time to focus on h…

Today, we are witnessing the emergence of hatred targeted at numerous religious groups. It defies logic, since the basis of all religion is love, isn’t it? Ronald Reagan, a man of private yet devout faith, respected all religions and this time of the year, honored the celebration of Hanukkah. He deeply revered the lighting of the Menorah. And he em…

On December 1 and 2, 2023, the Reagan Foundation and Institute held its annual Reagan National Defense Forum, one of our nation’s premier gatherings for defense and national security experts. In an era where the threats to our national security are increasing in number and complexity, the Reagan National Defense Forum allows senior leaders from the…

Family – well, it’s the center of all our activities this time of year, the reason for the season, so to speak. And to Ronald Reagan, incredibly important. So following in the tradition established in 1972 by President Richard Nixon, he proclaimed National Family Week which occurs near Thanksgiving. In 1981, Ronald Reagan wrote as he proclaimed Nat…

In this week’s Reagan Forum podcast we go back to our in-person event with Oren Schneider, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, for his recent book The Apprentice of Buchenwald: The True Story of the Teenage Boy who Sabotaged Hitler’s War Machine, a true story of inner strength, resourcefulness and optimism. Of his grandfather’s life in the concen…

Because of the war in the Middle East, we thought it would be a good idea to devote today’s podcast to Israel, focusing on the radio addresses written by Ronald Reagan before entering the Oval Office. So remember, he wrote these, on a yellow pad, without the oversight of a foreign policy advisor, without a secretary of defense or secretary of state…

It’s November and, of course, the month to celebrate Thanksgiving. From all of us at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, we wish you and your family the happiest and healthiest of Thanksgivings. In this week’s A Reagan Forum Podcast, we’re going to go back to 2018’s “Words to Live By” podcast featuring President Reagan’s though…

Now this might seem an odd pairing…Israel and Thanksgiving. But, as of this writing, the war in the Middle East rages. While in America, we are focused on Thanksgiving celebrations, we cannot overlook the terrible pain, suffering, and yes, terror the residents of the Middle East are enduring. Therefore, in this podcast, we’ll cover the President’s …

Last week was Veterans Day – a day to honor our nation’s military veterans. Commemorating this day on November 11th each year not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but also helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willin…

Forty years ago, President and Mrs. Reagan made an historic trip to Japan and South Korea. The President’s last stop was to Camp Liberty Bell, which was less than a mile from North Korean guns. Yes, they were quite near the DMZ. They attended an open air church service and the president wrote in his diary, that they were entertained by a choir of l…

In this week’s “A Reagan Forum” we present Bret Baier - a number one bestselling author and award-winning anchor of Fox News Channel’s Special Report with Bret Baier. Bret had previously spoken at the Reagan Library four times, the last time in 2019 for his book, Three Days at the Brink: FDR’s Daring Gamble to Win WWII which was part of his Three D…

In today’s podcast we honor our veterans and in the president’s messages to veterans, we’ll cover peace through strength. Going through our archives, both Citizen, Governor and President Reagan delivered many addresses saluting those who serve our country. Today we’ve chosen two – the first he delivered in August 1980 to the Veterans of Foreign War…

In this week’s Reagan Forum podcast, we go back just over a week to our October 21, 2023 in-person program with top rated Talk radio host and bestselling author Mark Levin for a conversation on his latest book, The Democrat Party Hates America. While at the Reagan Library, Mark was joined in conversation by Reagan Foundation and Institute President…