A Reagan Forum Podcast

John Avlon

In this week’s “A Reagan Forum” we present American journalist and political commentator John Avlon, who joined us at the Reagan Library virtually on February 28, 2022, to discuss his newest book, Lincoln and the Fight for Peace which is a revelatory history of Abraham Lincoln’s plan to secure a just and lasting peace after the Civil War — a vision that inspired future presidents as well as the world’s most famous peacemakers, including Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. It is a story of war and peace, race and reconciliation.

Newt Gingrich

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 War Fighting course for Major Generals.

Best of Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s Love Story

In this week’s “A Reagan Forum” we’re going to break from our normal format to honor President and Mrs. Reagan on what would have been their 70th wedding anniversary on March 4, 2022. 70 years prior, on March 4, 1952, Ronald Reagan wed Nancy Davis at the Little Brown Church in the Valley near Los Angeles, California. Their only wedding guests were their best man and maid of honor, married couple William Holden and his wife, Brenda. It’s been said that Romeo had his Juliet, Antony had his Cleopatra. Prince Edward had his Wallis, and Ronald Reagan had his beloved Nancy. Charlton Heston once said theirs was “probably the greatest love affair in the history of the American Presidency.”

Craig Shirley

In this week’s “A Reagan Forum” we present Craig Shirley, the author of four bestsellers on President Ronald Reagan, including “Rendezvous with Destiny” and “Reagan’s Revolution.” On this visit to the Reagan Library, Craig launched his latest book, “April 1945: The Hinge of History,” which is the long-awaited follow-up to the widely praised December 1941. In April 1945, Craig combines engaging anecdotes with deft research to look at the several events which changed the face of the world forever: the sudden death of President Roosevelt followed by Harry S. Truman’s rise to office; Adolph Hitler’s suicide; and the horrific discoveries of Dachau and Auschwitz. During his visit, Craig sat down with Reagan Foundation Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Giller to discuss his book.

Time For Choosing - Peggy Noonan

In this week’s Reagan Forum podcast we go back two weeks to February 7, 2022 for our in-person event with Peggy Noonan, who was the Foundation’s seventh speaker in its Time for Choosing Speaker Series, a new forum for leading voices in the conservative movement. As speech writer and special assistant, Peggy Noonan crafted for Ronald Reagan some of the most memorable addresses of his Presidency. From his unforgettable speech before the “boys of Pointe du Hoc” at Normandy in 1984 to mark the 40th anniversary of D-Day, to his soothing and soaring words that moved a nation forward following the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, Peggy displayed a mastery of her craft. As such, it is of no surprise to anyone that in her years since, as a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. She’s also currently a Trustee for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. During her Time for Choosing Speech at the Reagan Library, Peggy addressed additional critical issues facing the future of the Republican Party.

President Reagan’s Birthday

February 6, 2022 marked the 111th 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 2022 would have marked the 72nd anniversary of his 39th birthday! Since President Reagan’s passing on June 5, 2004, the Reagan Foundation has worked with United States Marine Corps Camp Pendleton to hold a birthday celebration on February 6th 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 Rudy Giuliani, Elizabeth Dole, James Baker, and Sam Donaldson. In this week’s A Reagan Forum podcast, we listen in to the ceremony held on February 6, 2022 with keynote speaker Peggy Noonan.

Christopher Wray

In this week’s Reagan Forum podcast we go back just a few days to January 31, 2022 for our in-person event with FBI Director Christopher Wray. Director Wray spoke at the Reagan Library as part of the Library’s special exhibition, FBI: From Al Capone to Al Qaeda, which covers the history of the storied agency from inception to its modern-day efforts to fight domestic terrorism in the United States.

Reagan National Defense Forum 2021: Defense in the Digital Age - U.S. Cyber Capabilities and the Future of Warfare

This week’s Reagan Forum Podcast goes back to last month’s Reagan National Defense Forum, for our 4th panel of the day, entitled Defense in the Digital Age: US Cyber Capabilities and the Future of Warfare. The panel included Representative Mike Gallagher, Admiral Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations for the US Navy, Dr. Alex Karp, Cofounder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, and General Paul Nakasone, Commander of the United States Cyber Command. The panel was moderated by New York Times reporter Julian Barnes.

F-117 Stealth Fighter and Abrams Tank Dedication

This week’s Reagan Forum Podcast will be a little different, as we will spend it by honoring the expansion of the Reagan Library Peace Through Strength Pavilion.

Reagan National Defense Forum 2021: Peace Through Strength Awards Ceremony

In this week’s Reagan Forum Podcast we go back one month to our 2021 Reagan National Defense Forum. But rather than share one of the panel discussions, as we’ve been previously doing, this podcast is going to focus on our annual Peace Through Strength Award ceremony. Presented at each Reagan National Defense Forum since 2013, the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award recognizes those who have applied, with constant purpose, a strategy to strengthen our armed forces, support our military men and women striving around the world, reinforce our nation’s defense systems and safeguard the lives and interests of the American people.