President Reagan's 44th Press Conference on December 8, 1988

[@kjh5317]

Thank you Peggy for directing us here. It’s such a pleasure to see a real president worthy of admiration and capable of strong, wise, compassionate leadership. The only downside of seeing Reagan is that it feels like wandering in the desert and suddenly seeing a banquet mirage. Will we ever have a president like that again? We can only hope. At least the Biden days are ending, thank the Lord.

[@TomokoMurakami]

You're right, Peggy. Reagan was very impressive and certainly capable of being president at this stage of his term.

[@mikebarr4494]

Thanks for this link, Peggy. The whole world owes much to Mr. Reagan.

[@huntercressall9728]

I had honestly forgotten how amazing a speaker - both prepared and impromptu - Regan was. I enjoyed seeing this again.

[@tobiaszeller4323]

Douthat send you? Me too

[@UrbsDei21]

Let me guess...you're here because of Douthat. Me too!

[@edwardmlord1842]

He was truly an amazing President, the likes of which we have seen only a very few times in the history of our Republic. God Bless you, President Reagan. Rest in God’s peace.

[@mikeelek9713]

His grasp on the facts and current events of that time was very good as he provides detailed and historical information on federal taxes and the budget, the Mideast, Afghanistan, the Soviet Union and more. Very impressive indeed, particularly when compared with Biden (can't seem to follow a conversation) and Trump (seemingly couldn't care less about anything).

[@barrytate4639]

No comparison- Reagan was still sharp as a tack here. Biden was, well…exactly what we thought he was.

[@KennethGivens-f3u]

President Reagan had a demeanor that exuded confidence. That was, in part, because he lived by strong principles that were developed over the years based on keen observation and deep thought. I wish we had leaders and statesmen like him in Washington today.

[@Lfw073]

Thank you, Mr. President and thank you, Peggy Noonan.

[@residentialleasingmanageme3963]

He was my favorite president and still is.

[@TPIR_Fan_1972]

And some folks claim Reagan had alzheimers at this point. Watch this and then watch anything involving Joe Biden and tell me who has Alzheimers and who doesn't.

[@hw5091]

nothing's black and white. Biden is in the early to mid stage, while reagan in his last year or so, was in the very early symptoms stages to early stage dementia. You can see it in his speech hesitation that wasn't there much just a couple years prior, and certainly wasn't there 4 or 5 years before this video. Symptoms effect everyone a little differently, and they can start as early as 10-12 years before diagnosis. As far as him being diagnosed in '94, nonsense. I'd be willing to bet he'd been diagnosed around 91-92, and even had doctors monitoring him around the late 80's.

[@timothycurrie2337]

They can both have Alzheimer's, you know?

[@frankdevo5715]

@@timothycurrie2337They could, but it’s clear that Biden’s mental faculties have been failing since before he was even elected.

[@1joewall]

@@timothycurrie2337 hahaha. No comparison.

[@brucer3242]

So impressive. So Presidential. And personal.

[@sunildesai5131]

Peggy - Thank you for this link in your article. It is truly amazing how things get distorted over time by politics! I hope we can have a president of his stature once again. We are over due for it!

[@timboslice1979]

The protective gaze of the Statue of Liberty.... I love it. I was just a kid when Reagan was President but I loved him and still do. Continue to rest in peace and delight in the Lord, Mr. President.

[@karlos6918]

Born’d Contra 1984

[@thomasandrews5301]

Beautifully stated.

[@zlandar1]

A POTUS taking and answering real questions. I’ve forgotten what it looks like.

[@Sympatico4u]

My mother had dementia and declined over 20 years. I was her caregiver throughout the last half of her decline but even in the early stages, she could not have handled the questions post speech, pulled up facts and details and answered coherently. She was an articulate woman and a beautiful speaker. Dementia removes so much. If President Reagan had dementia at the time of this speech, it was more the nature of 'where did i put my car keys' than the blank holes in memories that Alzheimer's produces. I see some stumbles in speaking at the end, but it seems more that he is being careful in what he says as the press may be known to misquote or mislead using cuts and clips of a speech.... So glad to have followed the link from Peggy's column to hear this for myself.

[@burtoncapps5477]

I believe one of his best lines was after the Challenger accident " left the surley bounds of earth to touch the face of God'

[@MCGMB]

@burtoncapps5477 Thank Peggy Noonan for that one.

[@DonParrish-j4j]

Amazing command of the Office of the President! Peggy, thanks for reminding WSJ readers of the greatness of President Reagan.

[@bryankelley5982]

The good old 80s

[@marcvelletri2347]

So quaint to see Helen Thomas worry about a $2.6 trillion national debt when today it's passing $35 trillion.

[@PJVids83]

10:21 Listen to the question posed and Reagan's answer. He must have been deeply disappointed in how that one turned out.

[@Yobbie72]

He was. Reagan said of Bush: "He doesn't seem to stand for anything!"

[@jacobsparry8525]

@@Yobbie72 When do you say stuff as that you should too all so thened post a URL to proof of that claim. If you cand not proved he acshully did say it that for us then you should not say it.

[@Yobbie72]

@@jacobsparry8525 it was widely reported at the time and of course denied. But it rings true.

[@jacobsparry8525]

@@Yobbie72 --- Ringing of true is not acshully proofed of being of true! Too all so I was not even borned at then. Not even I was thought ofed as thened. So never I heard of stuff as that. My mom and father were at then alive but they did to all died when I was at 7 so never did any one talked to me of that neither. --- So then ifed it was so very of "widely reported" then it should not be hard very at all for you to acshully find the quote of it and posted the URL. --- May be I am only just turned to at 15 but I am not being any of ones fool. I go at a magnets school for smarter kids and I do haved a grades averaging of 3.8 and do I taked 3 AP classes and evened after I geted beated to all most to death and haved to haved brains operation to lived and geted some of aphasias brains damaging, still do I know it stuff as this. --- I amed now being muted and I cand not walked good and I haved troubles to writed right what cand I think. But still do I know it just you are being lazy when do you not do yours own of back worked and be meticulous of it. Specially ifed do you wished to be ined journalisms or medias. --- I am not wished to be ined journalism but I do loved historys and some of politic persons as Reagan, who do I thinked was probly best very of president ined #20 century. --- It did taked me all of 2 minutes for finding of it a sourced for that : ------> ' "REAGAN QUOTE THROWS BUSH TEAM OFF GUARD ..." ' ' Feb 26, 1992 - ''He doesn`t seem to stand for anything,'' Reagan reportedly told associates about Bush`s problems in winning Republican votes in California.' --- AND HERE IS BEING THE URL FOR IT TOO EVEN: www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-02-26-9201180412-story.html --- So just still as I haved said it, you should put ond a url to show a sourced for when do you maked quotings as that because other wise just it is being yours say so or imaginations and because lots of persons just do maked uped stuff at YT . --- I am sorry of how cand I writed stuff and too how verbose do I geted. Some of my therapys dudes say it I writed very a lot because I cand not talked more any and I haved lots of stuff ined my head for saying.

[@Yobbie72]

@@jacobsparry8525 That's great that you are doing well at school. What country do you live in ? And I'm sorry about your parent's loss :( In terms of sources for this quote: www.newsweek.com/reagan-and-bush-call-it-snub-196034

[@williampanje6623]

OMG what a difference between Biden and Reagan !

[@burtoncapps5477]

Im sure Ive seen this press conference many times and I called out the mean, spirited question asked bty the "witch of the WH press" Helan Thomas.The story from day one was he would cut social security which never happened.

[@tomthrower3245]

Now.. it's get rid of the " magas"

[@TheRwd2]

Thanks for the link Peg. I shared this with my children to remind them of the decorum and class that a president should have. Beyond that , the skill that Reagan had, there was truth. You may not like the way that Trump tells you, but the same truth is there.

[@markburks494]

Wow! Just.. Wow! See also Tom Brokaw interviews Reagan Jan 17, 1989 - three days before the end of his presidency.

[@xanninc.abrasivewaterjetcu3896]

Watching this after watching president 46 first press conference.

[@jenniferalvarez4041]

3 years later and Reagan looks positively amazing in comparison.

[@1515732]

Great leader; best one in my lifetime hands down

[@Yobbie72]

The final press conference.

[@erikrevier4053]

How far we have fallen... RFK Jr gives us a glimpse of this but i'm afraid we are too far gone to actually do what's necessary to get him into office. I still have hope and will do what I can. Every vote will count.

[@tomthrower3245]

You actually thought RFKjr had a chance?..

[@erikrevier4053]

He still does. Despite what the media is pushing, he's growing everyday. Over 1 million signatures to get him on the ballot in every state, despite the DNC suing to try and get him removed. Pretty democratic eh?

[@vivianpowell1732]

​@@tomthrower3245 The person who wrote that comment was saying that RFK Jr deserved a chance to be president, not that he had a chance. There's a difference.

[@jeffh1880]

Thank-you President Reagan, my personal hero. And thank-you Peggy Noonan.

[@don2592]

Compare the conduct of the White House press corps to what you see today. Wow!

[@chuckthiele4342]

Reagan at 77 yrs old... I'd like to see side-by-side comparison with Biden at 77 yrs old. My intuition is that there'd be little comparison as the style of questioning by the reporters would give away Biden's weakness.

[@Diego_SanCA]

Regan is Impressive and this shows how far gone Biden is. Biden has answers to questions written out and reporters names pre selected!

[@tucker515]

😊This press conference certainly demonstrates once again how a great president conducts himself. As I've said many times, Reagan was unique. No other president in my lifetime engendered so much respect and confidence. But, because he was so unique, we can't reject other presidents because they don't measure up in every way. However, we should reject and fight those who don't want what is best for the country. When we find those who fight for our preferences, we must rally behind them and hope they do well. Obama and Biden were in it for themselves. Trump, on the other hand, loves our country and wants to do what is best for us. Like Reagan, Trump knows cutting taxes actually can raise revenues, and regulations and big government are detrimental to our economic success. Peggy, I know you long for the stature of Reagan, but Trump deserves our support. Ding him on style and his fumbles, but cheer him on for most of his policies. After all, he's what we got for the next 4 years, and thank the good Lord it wasn't Biden or Harris/Walz. Of the two choices, the country chose best. Find another Reagan, and you'll have, once again, my full agreement.

[@vivianpowell1732]

President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961) engendered as much respect and confidence as President Reagan did, if not more. President Eisenhower brought with him into the White House a history of professional accomplishments rarely if ever matched by other occupants. Most notable of course was his service as Supreme Commander of the Allied Invasion of Normandy on D-Day during WWII. After the war, Eisenhower served as president of Columbia University. In 1952 he was elected President of the United States and served two terms. During his first term he once again ordered the 101st Airborne Division on a mission, as he had done on D-Day. This time he sent the 101st into Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce the Supreme Court decision mandating an end to segregation in American public schools

[@markderic7472]

Ditto on the kudos to Peggy!

[@hardrockjeep]

Someone please show this to Kamala Harris.

[@EleniGermanakos-xv7lm]

Nice neighborhood 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@benjaminrosenberg509]

Thank you Peggy. Two things: first, Reagan was very lucid and spoke very well. From a written script no less and not a much easier teleprompter. Second, this was the end of Reagan’s last term. Biden was trying to delude Americans to vote for a second four-year term. To me that’s the really bad part. Clearly both the White House and main stream media was part of the overall coverup.

[@CWC1776]

The GOAT

[@andrewbiazis7453]

Still sharp versus Biden blunders

[@richardburt9812]

Not bad for a President with Alzheimers.

[@shyamsundargound-q4d]

s.sir.good.night.sir.of.one.of.0000.here

[@heyjude99]

933

[@heyjude99]

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