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Ronald Wilson Reagan is someone I have long viewed as one of the most consequential and inspiring leaders in modern American history. Before he ever held public office, he connected with people as a communicator — first as an actor and later as a spokesman who could explain big ideas in plain language. What stands out to me is how naturally he spoke about freedom, personal responsibility, and the belief that everyday Americans—not the government —are the real engine of progress. His journey from private citizen to California governor and then to the presidency was rooted in optimism about the country and confidence in its people. Reagan didn’t just argue policy; he told a story about America that made people believe again in opportunity, strength, and the idea that our best days could still be ahead.
I had the chance to meet the former President three times, and cherish all of those memories…
For this 115th birthday, I have curated three of his best speeches below…
A TIME FOR CHOOSING: A speech to the 1964 Republican National Convention
In the fall of 1964, the United States stood at a moment of political and cultural tension. The Cold War shaped daily life, fears of nuclear confrontation lingered, and debates over the size and role of the federal government divided the country. President Lyndon B. Johnson, seeking election in his own right after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, promoted an ambitious vision of expanding federal programs. His Republican opponent, Senator Barry Goldwater, championed a starkly different philosophy rooted in limited government, strong national defense, and individual liberty. Many political observers expected Republicans to suffer a crushing defeat, and few imagined that a single campaign speech could alter the party’s future.
Into this atmosphere stepped a former actor and corporate spokesman who was largely unknown in electoral politics: Ronald Reagan. His televised address on behalf of Goldwater, later called “A Time for Choosing,” did more than support a struggling campaign. Reagan articulated conservative principles in clear, accessible language, framing the election as a fundamental choice about freedom, responsibility, and the nation's direction.
The speech electrified viewers and donors alike, instantly elevating Reagan from political novice to rising leader. It set him on a path to the California governorship and ultimately positioned him as a central figure in the conservative movement and a future president.
REMARKS AT BERGEN-BELSON CONCENTRATION CAMP
On May 5, 1985, four decades after the end of World War II in Europe, President Ronald Reagan stood at the site of the former Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in West Germany. The moment was solemn in itself, but it was also politically and diplomatically delicate. Reagan was in Germany to mark the 40th anniversary of the war’s end and to reaffirm the strong alliance between the United States and a democratic West Germany — a crucial partner in the Cold War. At the same time, his visit came amid intense controversy over a planned stop at a German military cemetery, drawing global attention to how America should remember both the victims of Nazism and the complexities of postwar reconciliation.
Against that backdrop, Reagan’s remarks at Bergen-Belsen required him to thread a careful needle: to speak with moral clarity about the horrors of the Holocaust while reinforcing the importance of peace, memory, and the hard-won friendship between former enemies.
(California Patriot Ken Khachigian [ [link removed] ] collaborated with the President on writing this speech.)
TEAR DOWN THIS WALL - A speech at the Berlin Wall
On June 12, 1987, at the height of the Cold War, President Ronald Reagan stood before the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin with the Berlin Wall looming behind him as a stark symbol of a divided world. West Berlin was a democratic island surrounded by communist East Germany, and the city had long served as a frontline in the global struggle between freedom and authoritarian rule. Reagan’s visit came during a period of cautious change in the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev, whose reform policies had sparked both hope and uncertainty about the future of Eastern Europe.
In that charged and highly symbolic setting, Reagan delivered one of the most memorable challenges of the twentieth century. His speech cast the wall not merely as a physical barrier of concrete and wire, but as a moral line separating oppression from liberty. By publicly urging Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” Reagan elevated a ceremonial address into a defining statement of American resolve and a lasting emblem of the Cold War’s approaching end.
For those who want to make a weekend of it, a few runners-up videos!
1981 Inaugural Address [ [link removed] ]
“Evil Empire” Speech [ [link removed] ]
Address After The Challenger Disaster [ [link removed] ]
Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of D-Day [ [link removed] ]
1989 Farewell Address To The Nation [ [link removed] ]
Rest In Peace, President Reagan. And happy birthday! We know that you are in heaven with Nancy, Christine, and now Michael.
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