LAURA INGRAHAM: Trump’s MSG rally reflects FDR, Reagan’s populism

On October 31, 1936, FDR held a rally at Madison Square Garden. Being here some of the things he said – see if they sound like someone you know:

“The nation knows I hate war, and I know the nation hates war.”

“They (FDR’s opponents) began to view the United States government as merely an appendage to their own affairs. We now know that a government with organized money is as dangerous as a government with an organized mob.”

“Never before in our entire history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they are today. They are unanimous in their hatred of me – and I welcome their hatred.”

“I would like it to be said of my first reign that in it the forces of selfishness and lust for power met. I would like it to be said of my second reign that in it these forces met their master.”

“The American people know from four years of reporting that there is only one entrance to the White House today – through the front door. Since March 4, 1933, there has been only one entry key to the White House. that key in my pocket. It’s here tonight. As long as I am president, he will stay in my pocket.”

“Those who used to have keys are not happy. Some of them are desperate.”

This is what Americans sound like when they fight an unjust establishment. Remember, Ronald Reagan supported FDR as a young man, and alone left the Democratic Party because he believed that the Democrats were no longer the best choice for the average American. Just like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, Reagan switched to the party he thought would do a better job taking care of the little guy.

And Reagan could be too hard on the elites. Here he is in 1964:

“This is the question of this election: whether we believe in our capacity for self-government, or whether we leave the American Revolution behind us and admit that a small intellectual elite in a far-away capital can plan our lives for us better than we can ourselves. plans.” themselves.”

And here he is in 1980:

“The most important issue of this campaign is the direct political, personal and moral responsibility of the leadership of the Democratic Party – in the White House and in Congress – for this unprecedented disaster that has befallen us. They tell us they have done the most that was humanly possible. done. They say the United States has had its day in the sun; that our nation has reached its zenith. They expect you to tell your children that the American people no longer have the will to deal with their problems; be one of sacrifice and few opportunities.

“My fellow citizens, I completely reject that view. The American people, the most generous in the world, who have created the highest standards of living, will not accept the idea that we can only make a better world for others by going backwards ourselves. Those who believe that we have nothing to do with leading the nation, I will not stand by and watch this great country destroy itself under mediocre leadership that drifts from one crisis to another, eroding our national will and purpose. The American people deserves better from those they entrust with our nation’s highest offices, and we are united in our resolve to do something about it.”

That is the language of populism – the belief that the American people deserve a government that puts their interests first. It’s powerful language. It can be harsh language. And you understand why Dick Cheney – who has never trusted the American people – opposed Reagan in 1976.

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But it is the language of freedom – of free people who are not afraid to criticize their leaders, or fire their leaders and replace them with better ones. And if you hear this kind of strong American rhetoric – whether it’s from Trump, or Vance, or any other American populist – and you think it looks like fascism, then you’re either ignorant or you’re lying. FDR destroyed fascism. Reagan destroyed the Soviet Union. Trump has led the fight against the Chinese Communist Party.

Like FDR and Reagan, Trump is a freedom fighter. Like them, he believes that we should not only promote freedom around the world – we should ensure that Americans are free at home. If you support American freedom, you support Trump.

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