Dixon, Illinois. , Locals living in the late President’s hometown have mixed opinions on whether Ronald Reagan He will be welcomed into today’s Republican Party at the premiere of the movie “Reagan” in Dixon, Illinois.
Most political observers believe today’s MAGA movement looks and sounds very different from the party that once comprised traditional Reagan conservatives. But actor Dennis Quaid, who plays Reagan in the new biopic, didn’t shy away from a question about whether he’d be considered to head the party in 2024.
“Reagan would be the head of the Republican Party one of these days, no doubt about that,” Quaid said. Fox News Digital on the front porch of President Reagan’s childhood home. “This country kind of yearns for that. He was also a man of his time. And I think those principles still exist in the Republican Party today.”
Quaid said Reagan faced challenges similar to current US conflicts before becoming president. (Showbiz Direct)
Dixon locals had mixed reactions to Reagan’s appearance at today’s G.O.P. as they lined up for the Aug. 22 premiere of “Reagan” at Dixon: Historic Theatre, hosted by the Young America’s Foundation, with some saying his policies and his temperament would be inconsistent with the modern movement.
“I think they’ve moved to the very far-right fringe,” Kevin Strohm of Sterling, Illinois, said of the party’s changing policies. “Reagan was a moderate. I don’t think he’d be welcome.”
Some analysts say former Presidents Trump and Reagan at least they were similar But many others have pointed to glaring inequities.
There are some, such as author Edwin G. Oswald, who have claimed that “Reagan would not be welcome in today’s Republican Party,” arguing that his policies on immigration were “far more liberal than the policies of today’s GOP.” Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which provided amnesty to 3 million illegal immigrants. In recent years during the rise of Trump, more Republicans have spoken out against providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and have placed a renewed emphasis on border control and preventing illegal immigration.
John Lehman of the Wall Street Journal focused more on temperament when he wrote, “Reagan would never vote for Trump,
“Reagan’s 11th commandment was ‘Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican,’ but Donald Trump is not an inheritor of Reagan’s legacy. He is a disgrace to it,” Lehman said. “The Reagan I knew would be appalled that someone as unqualified as Mr. Trump has become the GOP flag-bearer. Reagan was also deeply opposed to President Biden’s agenda, and he never trusted or cared about then-Senator Biden.”
Many attendees at the “Reagan” premiere praised his honesty, ethics, and ability to “agree to disagree”, suggesting that none of the current presidential candidates possess these qualities, and that today’s politicians are more interested in tearing each other down.
When one local man was asked if Reagan would fit into today’s Republican Party, he said, “Unfortunately, he probably wouldn’t.”
Dennis Quaid almost turned down the role of ‘Reagan’ until one thing convinced him to do it
President Reagan meets with members of Congress in the Cabinet Room regarding the situation in Grenada. From left: Congressman Bob Michel, Speaker Tip O’Neill, the President and Senator Howard Baker. (Bettman / Contributor / Getty)
But few believed he would still be welcomed as the party’s leader at age 40. He and Dwight D. Eisenhower are the only Republicans since World War II to win two consecutive terms and win a majority of the popular vote both times.
“I guess,” said Sarah Ortgieson of Dixon, who was in Reagan’s inaugural parade. “I think he would know how to do it. He was an actor, too,” she added, laughing.
“Oh, I think so,” Becky Anderson, also of Rock Falls, Illinois, told Fox News Digital before watching “Reagan.” “I think most true Republicans look at Ronald Reagan as the true role model for Republicans.”
Comparison/contrast highlights the policies of leaders. Trump recently criticized Vice President Kamala Harris’ plan to ban price gouging, calling her a “socialist” and referring to her as “Comrade Kamala.” Quaid reflected on what he thinks Reagan would say about Harris’ economic agenda.
The assassination attempt on Trump revived memories of a similar attack on Reagan
Dennis Quaid as Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office (Noah “Nenia” Hamilton/Rawhide Pictures)
“Well, as far as price controls go, I know Reagan wouldn’t have done that, because he believed in the free market. It will find its own way,” Quaid said.
“Reagan won the Cold War,” Quaid said. “Reagan also testified that the communists were trying to take over the unions in Hollywood, not just the actors union, but the set builders union and the camera union and the writers, everybody, and everything was the same thing. And they had to go through the actors union first, of course, that was the hardest.”
“And Reagan opposed it at the time,” Quaid continued. “And when he testified before Congress, he said we should, as a nation, go ahead and let the Communist Party come into the country and let them say their views and everything else because democracy can handle it. And it will sort itself out. Because people will see the common sense in things. He believed in common sense.”
Reagan and Trump stunned their respective political worlds with their presidential victories in 1980 and 2016, which are widely regarded as elections that reshaped the political landscape.
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Reagan and Trump have one thing in common that cannot be disputed: Both survived assassination attempts. Quaid and voters shared his deep feelings about the political violence that nearly took his life.
“Well, my reaction was the same as when Reagan got shot,” Quaid said. “Thank God he survived. Because when Reagan got shot the first thing I remembered was that Kennedy got shot, and that weakened the spirit of our country for a couple of decades. It was Ronald Reagan who really brought that spirit back.”
“Reagan” is now in theaters.
Fox News Digital’s Kendall Taitz contributed to this report.
