"a Reagan Forum" Podcast

In this week’s “A Reagan Forum” we present our Reaganism Podcast on AI, Autonomy, and Defense. During the podcast, Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim sat down with Doug Cameron, a reporter who covers the global aerospace and defense industry and the airline sector in The Wall Street Journal’s Chicago bureau. During their conversation, they discussed Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the National Defense Industrial Strategy, emerging technologies, and the future of warfare.

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 the groundbreaking of the Reagan Library and Museum. To commemorate the day, the Foundation put together a video of how the Library was built and why Simi Valley was chosen.

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 National Security Innovation Base ecosystem. The program also unveiled the second iteration of its groundbreaking National Security Innovation Base Report Card which measures the health, effectiveness, and resilience of this ecosystem and provides recommendations for improvement. The program’s keynote was the Honorable Kathleen Hicks, the 35th Deputy Secretary of Defense. Following her remarks, she sat down in conversation with Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim.

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 nexus of civics and education policy answering President Reagan’s call for an “informed patriotism” to ensure for a prosperous future for America. Educators and organizations committed to civic learning and engagement often feel hesitant, fearing they'll be labeled political. Meanwhile, parents may wonder about the distinction between active participation and advocacy, and whether their child's teacher is equipped to navigate these waters. To discuss these topics, the Reagan Institute held an online forum on March 13, 2024, specifically to discuss how to foster informed and engaged citizens in today's polarized climate. The panel took a deep dive into the nuances of

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 the Gregorian calendar (which begins its new year on January 1 each year). People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes and were called “April fools.” Today it’s become a day for pranks, hoaxes, and jokes. And no one loved a good joke more than President Reagan. So we thought we’d spend today’s Reagan Forum podcast celebrating the best of President Reagan and his humor.

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, Last Act: The Final Years and Emerging Legacy of Ronald Reagan, and Reagan Rising: The Decisive Years, 1976-1980. He joined us on March 8 to discuss his latest book on Ronald Reagan, The Search for Reagan: The Appealing Intellectual Conservatism of Ronald Reagan. The new book chronicles what Craig Shirley believes is the untold secret of Reagan's success: strong moral compassion and the vast but underrated intellect of a philosopher-president. "A true leader has a moral, physical, and intellectual presence," Craig said. He continued, “I was in the room with Reagan many, many times. He was always the one person in the room who was the moral, physical, and intellectual

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 healthy America. In keeping with our vision of promoting civic engagement, on February 26, 2024 we were honored to once again partner with the Simi Valley Youth Council to present the annual Youth Town Hall. At the Youth Town Hall, Ventura County middle and high school students have the opportunity to hear public officials discuss local and statewide civic matters ranging from education to policy-making. To maximize participation, student attendees can pose their questions in person or share their concerns anonymously via social media.

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 the Medal has never tarnished. Etched within are the very values that each Recipient displayed in the moments that mattered—bravery, courage, sacrifice, integrity, a deep love of country, and a desire to always do what is right. Every year, the Reagan Foundation hosts an event, in partnership with the Medal of Honor Foundation, to bring together Medal of Honor recipients with high school students. The Medal of Honor recipients share their stories of courage and sacrifice, exploring such themes as patriotism, citizenship, and integrity. Following their remarks they engage in an open audience question and answer session with the students. This year’s program was held o

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, Senator Paul presents evidence that COVID was likely started by research at the Wuhan lab in China – research funded in part by the US Government without regulatory review. Senator Paul makes the case of why we shouldn’t fund dangerous bioengineering in a totalitarian country and how if we don’t heed this warning, the next pandemic could be worse. While at the Reagan Library, Senator Paul was joined in conversation by the Reagan Foundation and Institute President and CEO David Trulio.

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 also has a case on Civil Rights which includes the following 5 Constitutional Amendments: 13, 14, 15, 19, and 24.

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 and listened to excerpts of various keynote speakers since 2010.

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 Marine Corps Camp Pendleton to hold a birthday celebration on February 6 of each year to honor the life and legacy of our nation’s 40th president. Each year the program includes live musical entertainment from the 1st Marine Division Band, an honor guard, a rifle guard, and the official laying of the White House Presidential Wreath on President Reagan’s gravesite. Keynote speakers in prior years have included Ed Meese, Elizabeth Dole, James Baker, and Henry Kissinger. In this week’s A Reagan Forum podcast, we listen in to the ceremony held on February 6, 2024, with special keynote speaker Lech Walesa, who shared President Reagan’s commitment to securing and preserving hu

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 embrace him and all who served us so well.” To honor the values and ideals for which our country’s sons and daughters sacrificed, to honor their commitment to duty and country, to thank them for their service and our freedom, and to make sure that they are never, ever, forgotten, the Reagan Library was honored to install a new Gold Star Families Memorial Monument honoring the families of servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives while serving in the military. In this week’s A Reagan Forum podcast, we go back to November 12, 2018, for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Memorial’s unveiling. Program participants included Medal of Honor Recipient Hershel Woody Wil

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 time growing up amidst the rubble and antisemitism of war-torn Nazi Berlin in her latest book, American Wolf: From Nazi Refugee to American Spy. During this program, Audrey sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Giller to discuss American Wolf which is an electrifying true account brimming with last-minute rescues and life-and-death struggles that defy the impossible. They discuss how the book is not just a tale of survival, but a profound coming-of-age story, delving into the complexities of family dynamics and the search for national identity.

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, military issues, and international affairs, as he is the longest-serving teacher of the Joint Warfighting course for Major Generals. Speaker Gingrich is the author of over 40 books. He specifically came to the Reagan Library a week ago to discuss his latest book, March to the Majority: The Real Story of the Republican Revolution, which takes readers behind the scenes of the Republican Revolution in 1994 and the rise of the modern GOP to show how we can lead America toward a more conservative, prosperous future. The book shares never-before-told stories about Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Tip O’Neill, George H.W. Bush and other political figures.

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, which celebrated the Forum’s 10th anniversary. The panel, entitled “a discussion on peace through strength with former national security leaders” featured former US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, former US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, and former US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. The panel was moderated by Fox News Channel’s Bill Hemmer. During the conversation, panelists discussed Ukraine and if the U.S. and other allies should continue to provide weapons, the U.S. take on Tehran, how far the U.S. should or shouldn’t go in assisting Israel, rising tensions between China and Taiwan, and more.

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 many different camps in Europe and Indonesia, survivors who lived because they were hid, a survivor who lived because she was on Schindler’s List, and more. The first story we are going to share is our most recent. On Tuesday, November 28, 2023, we hosted two remarkable men. The first – a 95-year-old survivor of Auschwitz whose story of perseverance and optimism got him through his horrific time in the camps. The second, a 26-year-old Israeli who survived the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. We brought the two men together to tour our Auschwitz exhibit and to talk with media about how “Never Again” has tragically become “Now.”

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 Melissa Giller to discuss The Redhead of Auschwitz which is a book as full of life as it is of death. It is about the intricacies of Jewish culture that still exist today and the tender experiences that are universal to all humanity: family, coming of age, and first love. It is a story that celebrates believing in yourself no matter the odds. This is a story about the little redheaded girl who thought she could, and so she did.

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, the Department of Commerce has intensified its emphasis on enhancing the global competitiveness of U.S. businesses, improving the security of America’s supply chains, and decreasing reliance on China for products and technologies essential to our national security. Secretary Raimondo has been instrumental in the implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act, which lays out a long-term vision for building America’s technological leadership to pace the threat from China by funding programs across all U.S. manufacturing sectors. The fireside chat focused on the nexus of America’s economic and technological competitiveness with national security.

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 heroics rather than despair – for Richard’s latest book, In the Garden of the Righteous: The Heroes Who Risked Their Lives to Save Jews During the Holocaust. “It is an understatement to say this book is timely,” said Kirkus Review. During this program, Richard sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute President and CEO David Trulio to discuss In the Garden of the Righteous, which chronicles extraordinary acts at a time when the moral choices were stark, the threat immense, and the passive apathy of millions predominated. Deeply researched and astonishingly moving, it focuses on ten remarkable stories of those who provided hiding places, participat