Donald Trump Has Taken His Rightful Place as Ronald Reagan's Heir and Disciple

LAST NIGHT, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP BECAME A TRULY GREAT AMERICAN LEADER. His State of the Union Address on February 5, 2019, will live in history as perhaps his finest hour. I place this speech beside his June 2017 Western Civilization address in Warsaw, Poland, as the two milestones in his presidency. In both speeches, President Trump became the beacon in the dark night of the Progressive-socialist plague sweeping over the West. (The text of the Poland speech is available at < https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings.../remarks-president-trump-people-poland/ >.) In Warsaw, President Trump took his case to the world. Last night, President Trump took his case to the Progressive-socialists ripping at the heart of America : "An economic miracle is taking place in the United States -- and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations. If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation. It just doesn't work that way. We must be united at home to defeat our adversaries abroad." • • • AMERICAN RESPONDED FROM BOTH THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT. All my life, I have believed that when Americans bleed, they bleed the Declaration of Independence -- they bleed the Constitution -- they bleed patriotism -- they bleed human rights -- they bleed family -- they bleed God. • On February 5, 2019, President Trump reminded America of those uniquely American characteristics. And they responded. CBS and CNN polls report the stunning approval ratings for President Trump’s State of the Union address : ‘Incredible,’ ‘stirring,’ ‘inspiring,’ ‘genuinely moving.’ According to an “instant poll” conducted by CBS News following the event, a 76% majority of Americans who watched the speech approved of the President’s message. This included 97% of Republican viewers, 82% of Independent viewers and 30% of Democrat viewers. CNN obtained similar results in its own “instant poll” : Instant @CNN poll just revealed 76% of viewers approved of Trump’s #SOTU speech, with 59% “very positive.” pic.twitter.com/HhAsHbqXdb — Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) February 6, 2019. • But, it was the President’s words that hit home with Americans. Even the contingent of Democrat women dressed in white -- many of them members of the anti-Semitic Women’s March -- jumped to their feet in applause and even chanted “USA” as the President celebrated the record levels of female employment seen under his administration : "No one has benefitted more from our thriving economy than women, who have filled 58% of the new jobs created in the last year. All Americans can be proud that we have more women in the workforce than ever before -- and exactly one century after Congress passed the Constitutional Amendment giving women the right to vote, we also have more women serving in Congress than ever before. As part of our commitment to improving opportunity for women everywhere, this Thursday we are launching the first ever government-wide initiative focused on economic empowerment for women in developing countries." Conservative commentator Katie Pavlich noted on Twitter : “And there is your moment of unity. Trump got members of the Women’s March to loudly applaud his speech. This is actually incredible. And now they’re chanting USA! USA! #SOTU” — Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) February 6, 2019. • Rejections of the President's message to Congress were obvious in the moments of non-applause from the Democrat side of the House chamber, but as John Roberts tweeted : "I have not seen a SOTU in recent years when the opposition applauded to the degree it did tonight." — John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) February 6, 2019. And this -- "Trump has succeeded in getting more Democratic applause than I expected with some of his bipartisan talk, especially about women." And this -- "The President and his speechwriters have accomplished something remarkable here tonight -- striking several themes that have drawn applause from both sides of the chamber. That is not unusual for a state of the union, but it is unusual for this President. #SOTU." And this -- "Nice to see Republicans and Democrats jointly rise and cheer Trump’s call to protect people with pre-existing conditions at a time when the parties probably couldn’t be farther apart on what to do with the health system." AND this from NBC's Hallie Jackson -- "That Alice Johnson moment drew legitimate applause and emotional reaction from both sides of the aisle, as Johnson stood wiping away tears." • There was general bipartisan standing applause for bringing down drug costs, recognizing the new Venezuelan leader, more women in the workforce and Congress, paid family leave, governing as one nation, "Made in USA" manufacturing, the First Step Act, and more money for cancer research. This list belongs to Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) February 6, 2019. Rabbi Schmuley tweeted : "Strong speech by @realDonaldTrump thus far at #SOTU. They said he would call for unity and, while there are issues that definitely divide, he is touching on many shared themes. Amazing that he got GOP and DEMs to change #USA together at same time." • One surprise came when President Trump said : “We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens. This includes our obligation to the millions of immigrants living here today who follow the rules and respected our laws. Legal immigrants enrich our nation and strengthen our society in countless ways,” he said. “I want people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever, but they have to come in legally.” Senators Gillibrand and Brown, both potential Democrat 2020 contenders, stood up. • When the President said : “Our brave troops have now been fighting in the Middle East for almost 19 years. In Afghanistan and Iraq, nearly 7,000 American heroes have given their lives. More than 52,000 Americans have been badly wounded. We have spent more than $7 trillion in the Middle East. As a candidate for President, I loudly pledged a new approach. Great nations do not fight endless wars,” even a writer for Vox, a radically far-left news portal known for softening the image of MS-13, tweeted : “Trump is totally right on stopping endless wars!” • And, when he told the story of Grace Eline, the 10-year-old cancer survivor, Sam Stein, a far-left reporter who writes for The Daily Beast and frequently appears on MSNBC, praised Trump, tweeting : “Genuinely heartwarming moment here about Grace.” • CNN's Jake Tapper even relented, reporting : “Obviously, the moments with Grace Eline, the young girl battling cancer, the moment at the end with the soldier who helped liberate Dachau and the old man who had once been a little boy, a prisoner at Dachau, obviously, these are wonderful moments, stirring moments.” • Ben Shapiro tweeted : Trump’s #SOTU was the strongest speech of his presidency. It may not change the math much overall -- there’s not a lot of give in his numbers -- but it’s a reminder that when he’s on-script, his depiction of an America that is essentially good is still compelling." • And, perhaps Peggy Noonan has come home -- she tweeted : "This has been a deeply adept speech in terms of policy. He cut to the muscle on legal and illegal immigration, on abortion and infanticide, on foreign wars. His vow on socialism will be remembered. Great heroes in the balcony, a real American panoply." • • • EXCERPTS FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS. "The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican Agenda or a Democrat Agenda. It is the agenda of the American People. Many of us campaigned on the same core promises: to defend American jobs and demand FAIR TRADE for American workers; to rebuild and revitalize our nation's infrastructure; to reduce the price of healthcare and prescription drugs; to create an immigration system that is safe, lawful, modern and secure; and to pursue a foreign policy that puts America's interests first. There is a new opportunity in American politics, if only we have the courage to seize it. Victory is not winning for our party. Victory is winning for our COUNTRY. This year, America will recognize two important anniversaries that show us the Majesty of America's Mission, and the Power of American Pride. In June, we mark 75 years since the start of what General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the Great Crusade -- the Allied liberation of Europe in World War II. On D-Day, June 6th, 1944, fifteen thousand young American men jumped from the sky and sixty thousand more stormed in from the sea, to save our civilization from tyranny. Here with us tonight are three of those heroes: Private First Class Joseph Reilly, Staff Sergeant Irving Locker, and Sergeant Herman Zeitchik. Gentlemen, we salute you. In 2019, we also celebrate 50 years since brave young pilots flew a quarter of a million miles through space to plant the American flag on the face of the moon. Half a century later, we are joined by one of the Apollo 11 astronauts who planted that flag: Buzz Aldrin. This year American astronauts will go back to space on American rockets. In the 20th century, America saved freedom, transformed science, and redefined the middle class standard of living for the entire world to see. Now, we must step boldly and bravely into the next chapter of this Great American Adventure, and we must create a new standard of living for the 21st century." • "In just over two years since the election, we have launched an unprecedented economic boom -- a boom that has rarely been seen before. We have created 5.3 million new jobs and importantly added 600,000 new manufacturing jobs -- something which almost everyone said was impossible to do, but the fact is, we are just getting started. Wages are rising at the fastest pace in decades, and growing for blue collar workers, who I promised to fight for, faster than anyone else. Nearly 5 million Americans have been lifted off food stamps. The US economy is growing almost twice as fast today as when I took office, and we are considered far and away the hottest economy anywhere in the world. Unemployment has reached the lowest rate in half a century. African-American, Hispanic-American and Asian-American unemployment have all reached their lowest levels ever recorded. Unemployment for Americans with disabilities has also reached an all-time low. More people are working now than at any time in our history -- 157 million. We passed a massive tax cut for working families and doubled the child tax credit. We virtually ended the estate, or death, tax on small businesses, ranches, and family farms. We eliminated the very unpopular Obamacare individual mandate penalty -- and to give critically ill patients access to life-saving cures, we passed RIGHT TO TRY. My Administration has cut more regulations in a short time than any other administration during its entire tenure. Companies are coming back to our country in large numbers thanks to our historic reductions in taxes and regulations. We have unleashed a revolution in American Energy -- the United States is now the number one producer of oil and natural gas in the world. And now, for the first time in 65 years, we are a net exporter of energy. After 24 months of rapid progress, our economy is the envy of the world, our military is the most powerful on earth, and America is winning each and every day." • "In the last Congress, both parties came together to pass unprecedented legislation to confront the opioid crisis, a sweeping new Farm Bill, historic VA reforms, and after four decades of rejection, we passed VA Accountability so we can finally terminate those who mistreat our wonderful veterans. And just weeks ago, both parties united for groundbreaking Criminal Justice Reform. Last year, I heard through friends the story of Alice Johnson. I was deeply moved. In 1997, Alice was sentenced to life in prison as a first-time non-violent drug offender. Over the next two decades, she became a prison minister, inspiring others to choose a better path. She had a big impact on that prison population -- and far beyond. Alice's story underscores the disparities and unfairness that can exist in criminal sentencing -- and the need to remedy this injustice. She served almost 22 years and had expected to be in prison for the rest of her life. In June, I commuted Alice's sentence -- when I saw Alice's beautiful family greet her at the prison gates, hugging and kissing and crying and laughing, I knew I did the right thing -- Alice is here with us tonight. Alice, thank you for reminding us that we always have the power to shape our own destiny....We are also joined tonight by Matthew Charles from Tennessee. In 1996, at age 30, Matthew was sentenced to 35 years for selling drugs and related offenses. Over the next two decades, he completed more than 30 Bible studies, became a law clerk, and mentored fellow inmates. Now, Matthew is the very first person to be released from prison under the First Step Act. Matthew, on behalf of All Americans: WELCOME HOME." • "Now, Republicans and Democrats must join forces again to confront an urgent national crisis. Congress has 10 days left to pass a bill that will fund our government, protect our homeland, and secure our Southern Border. Now is the time for Congress to show the world that America is committed to ending illegal immigration and putting the ruthless coyotes, cartels, drug dealers, and human traffickers OUT OF BUSINESS. As we speak, large, organized caravans are on the march to the United States. We have just heard that Mexican cities, in order to remove the illegal immigrants from their communities, are getting trucks and buses to bring them up to our country in areas where there is little border protection. I have ordered another 3,750 troops to our Southern Border to prepare for the tremendous onslaught. This is a MORAL issue. The lawless state of our Southern Border is a threat to the safety, security and financial well-being of all Americans. We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens. This includes our obligation to the millions of immigrants living here today, who followed the rules and respected our laws. LEGAL immigrants enrich our nation and strengthen our society in countless ways. I want people to come into our country, but they have to come in legally. Tonight, I am asking you to defend our very dangerous southern border out of LOVE and DEVOTION to our fellow citizens and to our country." • "No issue better illustrates the divide between America's WORKING CLASS and America's POLITICAL CLASS than illegal immigration. Wealthy politicians and donors push for open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and guards. Meanwhile, working class Americans are left to pay the price for mass illegal migration -- reduced jobs, lower wages, overburdened schools and hospitals, increased crime, and a depleted social safety net." • "Tolerance for illegal immigration is not compassionate -- it is cruel. 1 in 3 women is sexually assaulted on the long journey north. Smugglers use migrant children as human pawns to exploit our laws and gain access to our country. Human traffickers and sex traffickers take advantage of the wide open areas between our ports of entry to smuggle thousands of young girls and women into the United States and to sell them into prostitution and modern-day slavery. Tens of thousands of innocent Americans are killed by lethal drugs that cross our border and flood into our cities -- including meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl. The savage gang, MS-13, now operates in at least 20 different American states, and they almost all come through our Southern Border....We are removing these gang members by the thousands, but until we secure our border they're going to keep streaming back in. Year after year, countless Americans are murdered by criminal illegal aliens. I've gotten to know many wonderful Angel Moms, Dads and families -- no one should ever have to suffer the horrible heartache they have endured. Here tonight is Debra Bissell. Just three weeks ago, Debra's parents, Gerald and Sharon, were burglarized and shot to death in their Reno, Nevada home by an illegal alien. They were in their eighties and are survived by 4 children, 11 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren. Also here tonight are Gerald and Sharon's granddaughter, Heather, and great-granddaughter Madison. To Debra, Heather, Madison, please stand: few can understand your pain. But I will never forget, and I will fight for the memory of Gerald and Sharon, that it should never happen again. Not one more American life should be lost because our nation failed to control its very dangerous border." • "In the last two years, our brave ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of criminal aliens, including those charged or convicted of nearly 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes, and 4,000 killings. We are joined tonight by one of those law enforcement heroes : ICE Special Agent Elvin Hernandez. When Elvin was a boy, he and his family legally immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic. At the age of eight, Elvin told his dad he wanted to become a Special Agent. Today, he leads investigations into the scourge of international sex trafficking. Elvin says: 'If I can make sure these young girls get their justice, I've done my job.' Thanks to his work and that of his colleagues, more than 300 women and girls have been rescued from horror and more than 1,500 sadistic traffickers have been put behind bars....I pledge to you tonight that we will NEVER Abolish our heroes from ICE." • "My administration has sent to Congress a commonsense proposal to end the crisis on our Southern Border. It includes humanitarian assistance, more law enforcement, drug detection at our ports, closing loopholes that enable child smuggling, and plans for a new physical barrier, or wall, to secure the vast areas between our ports of entry. ...Simply put, WALLS WORK and WALLS SAVE LIVES. So let's work together, compromise, and reach a deal that will truly make America SAFE." • "We are now making it clear to China that after years of targeting our industries, and stealing our intellectual property, the theft of American jobs and wealth has come to an end. Therefore, we recently imposed tariffs on $250 billion dollars of Chinese goods -- and now our Treasury is receiving billions of dollars. But I don't blame China for taking advantage of us -- I blame our leaders and representatives for allowing this travesty to happen. I have great respect for President Xi, and we are now working on a new trade deal with China. But it must include real, structural change to end unfair trade practices, reduce our chronic trade deficit, and protect American jobs." • "Another historic trade blunder was the catastrophe known as NAFTA. I have met the men and women of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Hampshire, and many other states whose dreams were shattered by NAFTA. For years, politicians promised them they would negotiate for a better deal. But no one ever TRIED -- until now. Our new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement -- or USMCA -- will replace NAFTA and deliver for American workers: bringing back our manufacturing jobs, expanding American agriculture, protecting intellectual property, and ensuring that more cars are proudly stamped with the four beautiful words: MADE IN THE USA." • "The next major priority for me, and for all of us, should be to lower the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs -- and to protect patients with pre- existing conditions....It is unacceptable that Americans pay vastly more than people in other countries for the exact same drugs, often made in the exact same place. This is wrong, unfair, and together we can stop it. I am asking Congress to pass legislation that finally takes on the problem of global freeloading and delivers fairness and price transparency for American Patients. We should also require drug companies, insurance companies, and hospitals to disclose real prices to foster competition and bring costs down." • "I am also proud to be the first President to include in my budget a plan for nationwide paid family leave -- so that every new parent has the chance to bond with their newborn child. There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our nation saw in recent days. Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother's womb moments before birth. These are living, feeling, beautiful, babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world. And then, we had the case of the Governor of Virginia where he stated he would execute a baby after birth. To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother's womb. Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth : all children -- born and unborn -- are made in the holy image of God." • "Under my Administration, we will never apologize for advancing America's interests. For example, decades ago the United States entered into a treaty with Russia in which we agreed to limit and reduce our missile capabilities. While we followed the agreement to the letter, Russia repeatedly violated its terms. That is why I announced that the United States is officially withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF Treaty. Perhaps we can negotiate a different agreement, adding China and others, or perhaps we can't -- in which case, we will outspend and out-innovate all others by far." • "As part of a bold new diplomacy, we continue our historic push for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Our hostages have come home, nuclear testing has stopped, and there has not been a missile launch in 15 months. If I had not been elected President of the United States, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea. Much work remains to be done, but my relationship with Kim Jong Un is a good one. Chairman Kim and I will meet again on February 27 and 28 in Vietnam." • "Two weeks ago, the United States officially recognized the legitimate government of Venezuela, and its new interim President, Juan Guaido. We stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom -- and we condemn the brutality of the Maduro regime, whose socialist policies have turned that nation from being the wealthiest in South America into a state of abject poverty and despair. Here, in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country. America was founded on liberty and independence -- not government coercion, domination and control. We are BORN FREE, and we will STAY FREE. Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will NEVER be a socialist country." • "I began this evening by honoring three soldiers who fought on D-Day in the Second World War. One of them was Herman Zeitchick. But there is more to Herman's story. A year after he stormed the Beaches of Normandy, Herman was one of those American Soldiers who helped liberate Dachau. He was one of the Americans who helped rescue Joshua from that hell on earth. Almost 75 years later, Herman and Joshua are both together in the gallery tonight -- seated side-by- side, here in the home of American Freedom. Herman and Joshua: your presence this evening honors and uplifts our entire nation. When American soldiers set out beneath the dark skies over the English Channel in the early hours of D-Day, 1944, they were just young men of 18 and 19, hurtling on fragile landing craft toward the most momentous battle in the history of war. They did not know if they would survive the hour. They did not know if they would grow old. But they knew that America had to prevail. Their cause was this nation, and generations yet unborn. Why did they do it? They did it for AMERICA -- they did it for us. Everything that has come since -- our triumph over communism, our giant leaps of science and discovery, our unrivaled progress toward equality and justice -- ALL of it is possible thanks to the blood and tears and courage and vision of the Americans who came before." • "Think of this Capitol -- think of this very Chamber, where lawmakers before you voted to end slavery, to build the railroads and the highways, to defeat fascism, to secure Civil Rights, to face down an evil empire....Here tonight we have legislators from across this magnificent Republic....Together, we represent the most extraordinary nation in all of history. What will we do with this moment? How will we be remembered? I ask the men and women of this Congress: Look at the opportunities before us! Our most thrilling achievements are still ahead. Our most exciting journeys still await. Our biggest victories are still to come. We have not yet BEGUN TO DREAM. We must choose whether we are defined by our differences -- or whether we dare to transcend them. We must choose whether we squander our inheritance -- or whether we proudly declare that WE ARE AMERICANS: We do the incredible. We defy the impossible. We conquer the unknown. This is the time to re-ignite the American Imagination. This is the time a to search for the tallest summit, and set our sights on the brightest star. This is the time to rekindle the bonds of love and loyalty and memory that link us together as citizens, as neighbors, as patriots. This is our future -- our fate -- and our choice to make. I am asking you to CHOOSE GREATNESS. No matter the trials we face, no matter the challenges to come, we must go forward together. We must keep America FIRST in our hearts. We must keep Freedom alive in our souls. And we must always keep FAITH in America's Destiny -- that One Nation, Under God, must be the HOPE and the PROMISE and the LIGHT and the GLORY among all the nations of the world! Thank you. God Bless You, God Bless America, and Goodnight!" • Read the speech at < https://www.foxnews.com/politics/president-trumps-state-of-the-union-address-read-the-speech > or watch highlights by Fox News at < https://video.foxnews.com/v/5999013058001/#sp=show-clips >. • • • THE PROGRESSIVE SMALL-MINDED INCIVILITY AND DISRESPECT. We expected, and got, Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi spotlighting her surliness when she read during President Trump’s Address to the House she controls. Pelosi caused a stir on social media by shuffling and reading from several oversized pages of the speech as President Trump spoke. Many on social media called Pelosi’s gesture disrespectful, wondering how big the outrage would have been if a Republican had done that to Barack Obama. One tweet summed up Pelosi's disrespect and incivility : "I don’t care what political party you represent, I have never seen the Speaker of the House disrespect the President of the United States like Nancy Pelosi is right now by reading her copy of the speech. WHAT A JOKE!!!! pic.twitter.com/jbeogW3vP7" • The rest of the Democrat women applauded their own success but refused to cheer for the disabled or minorities. Here is a tweet that covers it : "Great job, Dems! Democrat women make a scene at SOTU applauding themselves but they refused to applaud Trump’s declaration that we’re enjoying record-low unemployment for blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and the disabled under the booming Trump economy#selfcentereddemocratwomenhttps://t.co/oqUbTnjb3m" • Peggy Noonan tweeted that the 29-year-old Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez looked "sullen, teenaged and at a loss" during a night where the freshman Representative kept mostly silent and refused to applaud President Trump's remarks as he listed his administration's low unemployment numbers and efforts to cure AIDS and stop sex traffickers. Ocasio-Cortez showed just how completely she is out of step with America when she tweeted : "Why should I be 'spirited and warm' for this embarrassment of a #SOTU? Tonight was an unsettling night for our country. The President failed to offer any plan, any vision at all, for our future. We’re flying without a pilot. And I‘m not here to comfort anyone about that fac." • Before President Trump even delivered his speech, California Sen. Kamala Harris, a 2020 Democrat presidential candidate, said, "We will hear insincere appeals to unity." Other Democrats running to challenge Trump in 2020, including Cory Booker of New Jersey, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, were in attendance, and looked ill at ease. Gillibrand spotlighted her displeasure, tweeting out C-SPAN video of her eye roll reaction GIF and asking for campaign donations : "Agree? Chip in $5 so we can put an end to this." • Warren also made a fundraising pitch : “We heard plenty of things in tonight’s #SOTU that made my blood boil. But it’s not enough for us to just get angry at @realDonaldTrump (again). We have to fight for the change we want to see. This is our moment – chip in now.” • • • DEAR READERS, how can we explain the total lask of comprehension from these radical Democrats about the great job President Trump is doing for America and Americans? How do we make Elizabeth Warren see that it is not her or the radical Progressive Democrats' moment. It is America's moment. President Trump has created this moment and is leading it. The CBS snap poll shows that 63% who watched the speech believe it will not change things. Clearly, Americans have Pelosi's number -- 72% of them said they favored the ideas on immigration Trump outlined in his speech, and 71% said from what they heard in the speech there is a crisis at the southern border. Pelosi and her radical Democrats must have a death wish. • In retrospect, President Trump was absolutely right to postpone his state of the Union Address until after the shutdown. He understood -- as he always does -- what America needs and deserves. We all need -- myself included occasionally -- to stop second-guessing President Trump and follow his lead. • PRESIDENT REAGAN'S LEAD. It seems particularly fitting that today is Ronald Reagan's 108th birthday. Happy Birthday to the Gipper, who was born on February 6, 1911. President Reagan surely applauded and blessed President Trump's speech on Tuesday. Ronald Reagan's stand for America was the precursor of, and is still the flame that lights, the American resurgency after decades of Progressive Democrat creeping socialism, as we used to call it. That creeping socialism is now hot on America's heels. President Reagan knew it was coming. He visited the New York Stock Exchange while in office in 1985 -- George W. Bush in 2007 was the only other sitting US President to visit the NYSE. After his presidency, Reagan visited the NYSE again in 1992 with Mikhail Gorbachev to mark the exchange’s bicentennial. Shortly after Reagan’s death on June 5, 2004, the New York Stock Exchange put this tribute to the 40th president of the United States on its website after his historic March 28, 1985, visit : "At 9:53 a.m. that morning, President Reagan -- amid a roaring ovation -- addressed the Exchange community from the bell podium. Flanked by his chief of staff, Donald T. Regan and NYSE chairman and CEO John J. Phelan, President Reagan proclaimed : 'We’re bullish on the American Economy. The American economy is like a race horse that’s begun to gallop in front of the field.' Aiming to drive 'the bears back into hibernation,' he said, 'that’s our economic program for the next four years -- we’re going to turn the bull loose.' ” Throughout his presidency, President Reagan championed the principles and power of free people competing in free markets. During the first year of his Administration, in September 1981, Reagan communicated his core beliefs to members of the IMF and the World Bank when he stated : “We who live in free market societies believe that growth, prosperity and, ultimately, human fulfillment are created from the bottom up, not the government down. Only when the human spirit is allowed to invent and create, only when individuals are given a personal stake in deciding economic policies and benefiting from their success -- only then can societies remain alive, dynamic, prosperous, progressive and free. Trust the people. This is the one irrefutable lesson of the entire post-war period, contradicting the notion that rigid government controls are essential to economic development. The societies that have achieved the most spectacular, broad-based progress are neither the most tightly controlled, nor the biggest in size, nor the wealthiest in natural resources. No, what unites them all is their willingness to believe in the magic of the marketplace. Everyday life confirms the fundamentally human and democratic ideal that individual effort deserves economic reward. Nothing is more crushing to the spirit of working people and to the vision of development itself than the absence of reward for honest toil and legitimate risk. So let me speak plainly : We canot have prosperity and successful development without economic freedom; nor can we preserve our personal and political freedoms without economic freedom. Governments that set out to regiment their people with the stated objective of providing security and liberty have ended up losing both. Those which put freedom as the first priority find they have also provided security and economic progress.” • That firm belief is what enshrined Reagan’s famous line in Berlin : "We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!" • Donald Trump has taken his rightful place as Ronald Reagan's heir and disciple. It is now time for all of us to embrace this man who has given everything just to Make America Great -- again, now, and always.