Anyone with knowledge of the Ronald Reagan presidency cannot help but notice some of the amazing parallels between his time in office and Donald Trump’s now.
There was one obvious one on Monday when Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term in the Capitol Rotunda, rather than outside the building due to severe cold weather.
🚨 #BREAKING: DONALD J. TRUMP SWORN IN AS 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. It is done. pic.twitter.com/PsQLKt4Ikp
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 20, 2025
The same was true in 1985 when Reagan’s second term inaugural ceremony was moved into the Rotunda.
As Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany noted Friday, both men also survived an assassination attempt against them, actually being hit by a bullet intended to take their lives.
Further, as was true with Reagan, hostages being held in the Middle East were released just hours before Trump took office after spending 471 days in captivity.
A total of 33 are expected to be released over the next six weeks in a deal the incoming Trump administration helped negotiate after many months of unfruitful efforts by the Biden administration, NPR reported.
President Trump’s similarities to President Reagan seem to grow by the day.
🔹 Swearing in moved indoors due to cold weather (first time since Reagan in 1985)
🔹 Hostage release due to happen Sunday, hours before Trump sworn in (reminiscent of Reagan in 1981)
🔹 Survived an… pic.twitter.com/ZJ8hxlpvRp
— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) January 17, 2025
Similarly, more than 50 American hostages were released on Jan. 20, 1981, the day Reagan was sworn in as president, after 444 days as prisoners of the Iranians. The release came following months of failed negotiations by incumbent Jimmy Carter’s administration.
The moments the 3 Israeli female hostages are reunited with their families after being released from 15 months of Hamas captivity in Gaza: pic.twitter.com/aACgEaAAgE
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) January 19, 2025
Will Trump have a successful second term?
Carter, a Democrat, would serve only one term, due to inflation domestically and chaos abroad. In addition to the Iranian hostage crisis, the Soviet Union (now Russia) invaded Afghanistan in December 1979.
Biden, like Carter, only served one term, in part, because of inflation, chaos in the Middle East, and Russia invading Ukraine. His approval ratings went underwater and never recovered following his disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.
Biden has been compared to Carter, who also left office with historically low approval ratings. Carter’s was 34 percent in December 1979, and Biden’s was 39 percent last month, according to Gallup.
Ironically, Carter, the 39th president, died just last month at 100 years old during the transition period from Biden to Trump.
Trump defeated Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris, to secure his second term. Reagan beat Carter’s vice president, Walter Mondale, to win his re-election.
Incidentally, if Notre Dame should win the national championship Monday it will be the first time they have taken home the national title since 1988 during Reagan’s second term. Their coach then was Lou Holtz, who happens to be a big-time Trump supporter.
There’s an old saying, “History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes,” kind of like Ronald and Donald.
The observation certainly appears to be playing out in our time.
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