On October 31, 1936, FDR held a rally at Madison Square Garden. Here are some of the things he said – see if they sound like anyone you know:
“The nation knows that I hate war, and I know that the nation hates war.”
“They {FDR’s opponents} had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that government by organized money is just as dangerous as government by organized mob.”
“Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me – and I welcome their hatred.”
“I should like to have it said of my first Administration that in it the forces of selfishness and lust for power met their match. I should like to have it said of my second Administration that in it these forces met their master.”
“The American people know from a four-year record that today there is only one entrance to the White House – by the front door. Since March 4, 1933, there has been only one pass-key to the White House. I have carried that key in my pocket. It is there tonight. So long as I am President, it will remain in my pocket.”
“Those who used to have pass-keys are not happy. Some of them are desperate.”
This is what Americans sound like when they are fighting an unjust Establishment. Remember that Ronald Reagan supported FDR as a young man, and only left the Democratic Party because he believed the Democrats were no longer the best choice for the average American. Like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, Reagan switched to the party he believed would do a better job looking out for the little guy.
And Reagan could also be tough on the elites. Here he is in 1964:
“This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.”
And here he is in 1980:
“The major issue of this campaign is the direct political, personal and moral responsibility of Democratic party leadership-in the White House and in Congress-for this unprecedented calamity which has befallen us. They tell us they have done the most that humanly could be done. They say that the United States has had its day in the sun; that our nation has passed its zenith. They expect you to tell your children that the American people no longer have the will to cope with their problems; that the future will be one of sacrifice and few opportunities.
“My fellow citizens I utterly reject that view. The American people, the most generous on earth, who created the highest standard of living, are not going to accept the notion that we can only make a better world for others by moving backwards ourselves. Those who believe we can have no business leading the nation. I will not stand by and watch this great country destroy itself under mediocre leadership that drifts from one crisis to the next, eroding our national will and purpose. We have come together here because the American people deserve better from those to whom they entrust our nation’s highest offices, and we stand united in our resolve to do something about it.”
That’s the language of populism – the faith that the American people deserve a government that puts their interest first. It’s strong language. It can be harsh language. And you can see why Dick Cheney – who has never trusted the American people – opposed Reagan in 1976.
But it’s 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 type of strong American rhetoric – whether it’s from Trump, or Vance, or any other American populist – and you think it sounds like fascism, then you are either ignorant, or you are 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 need to make sure Americans are free at home. If you’re for American freedom, then you are supporting Trump.
