Recalling Ronald Reagan’s Memorial Day message
NEWS AND OPINION:
Let’s return to May 27, 1985.
That was the day President Ronald Reagan issued “Proclamation 5330,” which asked the nation to pray for “permanent peace” on Memorial Day and also referenced the end of World War II some four decades earlier.
Here’s a portion of the formal statement:
“This year, we observe the fortieth anniversary of the end of the most destructive war the world has ever known — a war the United States did not want but nevertheless fought with total commitment to protect the most cherished human ideals. Throughout that war, and in our foreign relations afterward, we have sought to achieve true and lasting peace for all the people of the world,” Reagan said.
“Today, our desire for peace is equally great. In our observances this Memorial Day, we honor the brave Americans who paid the highest price for their commitment to the ideals of peace, freedom, and justice. Our debt to them can be paid only by our own recommitment to preserving those same ideals. But our recommitment cannot be for ourselves alone. It must also be for our children, and for the generations yet to come,” the president continued.
“Peace, freedom, and justice are not things that were won for us 200 years ago or 40 years ago; they must be won again and again by each successive generation. And so today, let us pray for peace. And let us remember those who gave so much for peace so that the ideals of the West may survive,” he concluded.
TRUMP HAS A BIG SAY
Ever-busy former President Donald Trump produced a new campaign video for Memorial Day, now posted to Rumble.com, an online video platform.
“As you gather with family and friends, everything is more expensive, a lot more expensive actually, because of Joe Biden’s reckless policies that have caused soaring energy costs and currency inflation like our country hasn’t seen for over 50 years,” advises Mr. Trump, who is flanked by a pair of American flags.
“This Memorial Day gas prices are up 48% since Joe Biden took office. That’s right, 48%. Food prices are up 18%. Airline prices are up 41%. Taxes are higher than ever. Interest rates for mortgages and car loans have put the American dream out of reach for countless millions of families,” he said.
“Meanwhile, in the Joe Biden economy, real wages are down 25 months in a row. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it. In fact, it’s the longest streak on record. The typical American family this Memorial Day weekend has lost an average of nearly $7,000 a year in purchasing power because of Joe Biden’s failed presidency. You could take the worst five presidents in history, and they haven’t done the damage that Joe Biden has done. Just add them up,” Mr. Trump continued.
He appears to be thinking way ahead, vowing to reverse inflation and “rebuild the greatest economy in the history of the world” and outlining plans to achieve “energy independence,” and lower gas and food prices.
“By Memorial Day 2025, our country will be roaring back. We’ll be well on our way to greatness like our country has never seen before. We were doing it and then it got stopped by some horrible policies,” he observed.
“Not only will we be energy independent, but we will soon be energy dominant. We’ll be making so much money that we’ll be reducing debt and lowering your taxes. We’re doing so many different things. Our country will be great again, I promise,” Mr. Trump concluded.
‘LACKLUSTER’ APPROVAL
President Biden and the U.S. Congress are eliciting a similar reaction from the American public these days.
And that reaction appears to be tepid at the moment.
“Amid tense negotiations to raise the federal government’s debt ceiling and avoid default, President Biden’s latest job approval rating of 39% is just two percentage points higher than his personal low recorded last month,” the pollster said in an analysis of the findings.
“Meanwhile, Americans’ approval of the job Congress is doing has edged up four percentage points since April but remains lackluster, at 20%,” advises a new Gallup poll released Friday — just as the lawmakers were wrangling with the White House over the aforementioned debt issue.
The poll findings are pretty telling. See the ones for Congress in the Poll du Jour at column’s end.
MEANWHILE AT FOX NEWS
The cable news network has been offering noteworthy special coverage for Memorial Day since Friday which has included patriotic tributes to the nation’s veterans and other military heroes.
There is more programming of note for Memorial Day itself, however.
“Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Pete Hegseth — a retired infantry captain in the Army National Guard — will also helm a primetime special at 8 p.m. EDT Monday titled “Modern Warriors: War on Warriors.”
The unique special will take an inside look at the military today and speak with veterans about “the impact progressive policies are having on its defensive edge,” the network said in a statement to Inside the Beltway.
And one more thing. All U.S. military and veterans will receive their first year of Fox Nation — the network’s streaming service — for free for a limited time. Sign up by visiting FoxNation.com/Military.
POLL DU JOUR
• 77% of U.S. adults disapprove of the job the U.S. Congress is doing; 83% of Republicans, 78% of independents and 74% of Democrats agree.
• 77% of women and 76% of men also agree; 83% of Whites and 65% of non-Whites also agree.
• 20% of U.S. adults overall approve of the job Congress is doing; 16% of Republicans, 17% of independents and 24% of Democrats agree.
• 20% of women and 20% of men also agree; 15% of Whites and 29% of non-Whites also agree.
• 3% of U.S. adults don’t know or refused to answer; 1% of Republicans, 5% of independents and 2% of Democrats agree.
• 3% of women and 4% of men also agree; 2% of whites and 6% of non-whites also agree.
SOURCE: A Gallup poll of 1,011 U.S. adults conducted May 1-24 and released Friday.
• Have a pleasant Memorial Day and thank you for reading Inside the Beltway.
