Hollywood Actor Dennis Quaid Draws Striking Comparison Between Trump and Reagan
Aboard Air Force One on Friday, veteran actor Dennis Quaid offered a memorable assessment of former President Donald Trump, comparing him to Ronald Reagan but "on steroids." The 71-year-old Hollywood star, who famously portrayed Reagan in the 2024 biographical drama Reagan, was traveling with Trump to a political rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, when the exchange occurred.
Historic Conversation Captured and Shared by Senator Ted Cruz
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas quickly shared a video of the interaction on social media platform X, captioning it, "An historic conversation on AF1 between TWO great American Presidents." In the clip, Cruz asks Quaid what Reagan would think of Trump today. Quaid responded with a chuckle, "I think he's like me but on steroids actually." Trump appeared delighted by the remark, replying, "I like that," before laughing and giving Quaid playful nudges on the arm.
The video rapidly accumulated thousands of likes, with many viewers noting the fitting reference to Quaid's portrayal of the 40th president. This incident highlights Quaid's increasingly vocal support for Trump, which he has expressed in recent public appearances.
Quaid's Public Endorsement and Praise for Trump's Energy
Just days before the Air Force One flight, Quaid elaborated on his admiration for Trump during an appearance on The Greg Laurie Show podcast. He told the evangelical pastor, "I've never seen anybody with that kind of energy," noting that Trump's stamina rivals his own high-energy reputation. Quaid praised Trump as "surprisingly approachable" and "very funny," asserting that the former president's authenticity resonates deeply with voters across the nation.
According to Quaid, Trump's supporters "know he has their best interests at heart." He also commended Trump's consistency, stating that the former president has been pursuing the same policy goals "ever since he's been on television" back in the 1990s.
Texas Rally Highlights Energy Policy and Political Controversies
Upon arrival in Corpus Christi, Quaid joined Trump at the Port of Corpus Christi for a rally billed as an energy policy event. Trump appeared alongside Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright to emphasize US energy production. During his speech, Trump introduced Quaid to the crowd, saying, "We have an actor. He's one of the best actor's in America. He played a gentleman who preceded me by a few years named Ronald Reagan." He added, "Dennis Quaid has gotten accolades all over the place, and he really is good," before calling the actor onto the stage.
Quaid took the microphone, expressed his happiness at being back in his home state of Texas, and declared, "I love Donald Trump!" However, the rally also featured moments of controversy. Trump drew audible boos from the crowd when he singled out embattled Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales, offering unexplained "congratulations" to the lawmaker, who is currently engulfed in a scandal involving an alleged affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.
Trump's Remarks on Third Term and Attacks on Political Opponents
During his speech, Trump once again suggested he should be "entitled" to a third term as president, reiterating his frequent claim that the 2020 election against Joe Biden was "stolen" from him. He stated, "Maybe we should - maybe we do one more term. Should we do one more? One more term? We would actually be entitled to it," alleging that Democrats "cheated like hell" five years ago.
Although the event focused on energy policy, Trump diverted to attack Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for heckling him during the State of the Union address the previous week. He described her as "screaming, screaming, screaming, like a lunatic," and commented, "You looked at her bulging eyes, she's crazy." Last week, Omar and Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib became visibly emotional when Trump criticized what he referred to as "Somali pirates who ransack Minnesota," leading to chaotic scenes in the House as Republicans chanted "U-S-A, U-S-A" to drown them out.
Trump claimed that "members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer" in welfare fraud, warning that "importing these cultures through unrestricted immigration and open borders brings those problems right here to the USA." Cameras captured a distraught Omar, who is Somali, during these remarks, with her and Tlaib screaming that Trump had American blood on his hands following a deadly immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
In response, Trump branded the women a "disgrace" and told them, "You should be ashamed." This rally underscored the ongoing political divisions and Trump's continued influence, with Quaid's endorsement adding a notable Hollywood dimension to the proceedings.
