Morning Glory: Trump's rhetorical agenda
When President-elect Trump served his first term, his most significant speeches were made abroad—in Saudi Arabia, Poland, and for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day in Normandy.
In his second term, President Trump’s Inaugural address will be his triumphant return. After that, Trump has before him five moments on which a great speech can elevate the country and his presidency. John McConnell and Matt Scully are the best writers at work inside the Beltway so enlisting them to weave the five moments together with great rhetoric is a unique opportunity for the 47th president but any wordsmith with talent and vision can sit down with Trump to fashion the arc of these messages which, if a piece, will define 45-47 for historians.
The first moment is almost upon us: The 250th anniversary of the "Shot Heard Round the World," when the American Revolution kicked off for real at the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. Will President Trump travel to Lexington Battle Green this Spring to mark the very beginning of our Republic? I hope so.
Philadelphia the following summer on July 4, 2026 is the second part of the two parter celebrating American independence and the path that made America great. The 250th anniversary of the country’s founding will be a big day for the country and should be for Trump as well.
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Trump will welcome the world to America not once but twice during his second term. The first time will be just before our Semiquincentennial when the World Cup comes to North America. The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. It will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The tournament will be the first hosted by three nations and Trump’s welcome will be the biggest welcome —an opportunity to tell the world what our leadership has meant for it for the past century and the one ahead.
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A somber anniversary arrives on 9/11/2026 and the president should be preparing three sets of remarks, one to be delivered at Ground Zero in New York City, a second at Shanksville, PA and the third at the Pentagon. This is the opportunity to remind our enemies of our resilience, our refusal to cede global authority to the Chinese Communist Party or any serious nation state for much less jihadis whose mayhem has no strategy that can succeed in the face of implacable American resolve.
The fifth and final occasion could occur as the Olympics arrive in California in 2028. Hopefully President Trump will preside over most of the events with at least an appearance at every major venue. As Trump draws near the end of his remarkable political career which began at the top of the escalator in Trump Tower in 2015, he will have all the eyes of the world on the globe’s quadrennial celebration.
The legislation ahead matters of course, as do his national security decisions and the inevitable crises ahead. But a plan to connect the big five dates and the speeches that mark them should be in the works now. President Trump appreciates good production. This quintet of occasions will focus the world, and historians, on Trump and American greatness. It’s not too early to begin, especially not for April’s anniversary.
Hugh Hewitt is host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show," heard weekday mornings 6am to 9am ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh wakes up America on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcast, and this column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.