The nation's 26th president and the man hoping to become our 45th commander in chief share backgrounds, style and outlook, but Theodore Roosevelt probably wouldn't approve of Donald Trump, says author Daniel Ruddy.
Daniel Ruddy’s new book — "Theodore the Great: Conservative Crusader" — reveals President Roosevelt’s relevance for us today. Get "Theodore the Great" on Amazon – Click Here.
In an exclusive interview with "Newsmax Prime" host J.D. Hayworth on Newsmax TV Monday, the biographer argues the Rough Rider was a man of his times.
"They're both brash New Yorkers, very outspoken," Ruddy said. "Teddy in 1912 ran against the establishment of the Republican Party and of course Trump did that this year."
And, he added, "they're both populists and both nationalists."
"Teddy Roosevelt, you can't get more of an over-the-top patriot than him in terms of American history," he said of the statesman who famously advised to "speak softly and carry a big stick."
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Yet Trump would likely rub Roosevelt the wrong way, Ruddy speculates.
"Teddy as a Victorian moralist and sort of very uptight by the standards of our generation… I don't think he would approve of some of Trump's language, which some consider coarse and vulgar," he said.
"On the whole, I think if Teddy were alive today, if we could bring him back to life, I don't think he would approve of Trump."
Ruddy notes Trump's immigration stance illustrates both the differences and similarities between the two.
"Theodore Roosevelt was for immigration but as I describe in my book, he wanted the right kind of immigrants to come to the United States," he said.
"He really hated this idea of people from foreign nations coming to the United States and then maintaining their allegiance to their country of origin. He denounced them as hyphenated Americans."
On the other hand, "Teddy was more inclusive in terms of religions," he said.
"He wanted to have a very balanced administration, for instance. He was the first American president to appoint a Jewish American to his Cabinet, Oscar Straus. … I think with [Trump's] Muslim ban, banning people based on their religion, I think Teddy would be more inclusive than that. But I think he would be open to the idea of banning immigrants from certain countries."
Ruddy decried the "intense assault from people on the right" on Teddy Roosevelt's reputation over the past decade.
"People like [commentator] Glenn Beck, people like [National Review senior editor] Jonah Goldberg, [columnist] George Will, [Fox News analyst] Judge [Andrew] Napolitano, they've all excoriated Teddy as what they describe as a sinister progressive," he said.
According to Ruddy, "1912 was really the reason" Roosevelt is misunderstood, citing his support of child labor laws, the eight-hour work day, and workman's compensation.
"He also wanted to build two battleships every year," he said, adding: "This isn't some radical leftist. There wasn't anything sinister about it. He wasn't twisting his moustache thinking, 'I'm going to create this nanny state to control the lives of Americans and tax and regulate then to death.'"
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