John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms in the United States House of Representatives and was the Republican nominee for president of the United States in the 2008 election, which he lost to Barack Obama. A son of Admiral John S. McCain Jr., McCain graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1958 and received a commission in the United States Navy.
Presidency of Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following a landslide victory over Democratic incumbent President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election. Four years later, in the 1984 election, he defeated Democrat former vice president Walter Mondale to win re-election in a larger landslide. Reagan was succeeded by his vice president, George H. W.
Newt GingrichNewton Leroy Gingrich (ˈɡɪŋɡrɪtʃ; né McPherson; born June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. representative for Georgia's 6th congressional district serving north Atlanta and nearby areas from 1979 until his resignation in 1999. In 2012, Gingrich unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for president of the United States.
Nancy ReaganNancy Davis Reagan (ˈreɪɡən; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and the first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989, as the second wife of president Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in New York City. After her parents separated, she lived in Maryland with an aunt and uncle for six years. When her mother remarried in 1929, she moved to Chicago and later was adopted by her mother's second husband. As Nancy Davis, she was a Hollywood actress in the 1940s and 1950s, starring in films such as The Next Voice You Hear.
Chief of Naval OperationsThe chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (), the CNO is a military adviser to the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, the secretary of defense, and the president. Despite the title, the CNO does not have operational command authority over naval forces.
Mitch McConnellAddison Mitchell McConnell III (məˈkɒnəl ; born February 20, 1942) is an American politician and retired attorney serving in his seventh term as a United States senator from Kentucky, and in his second stint as Senate Minority Leader, having previously held that post from 2007 to 2015. During a period of Republican control from 2015 to 2021, he was Senate Majority Leader. In total, McConnell has been the leader of the Senate Republican Conference since 2007.
Chuck HagelCharles Timothy Hagel (ˈheɪɡəl ; born October 4, 1946) is an American military veteran and former politician who served as a United States senator from Nebraska from 1997 to 2009 and as the 24th United States secretary of defense from 2013 to 2015 in the Obama administration. A recipient of two Purple Hearts while an infantry squad leader in the Vietnam War, Hagel returned home to start careers in business and politics.
American exceptionalismAmerican exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is either distinctive, unique, or exemplary compared to other nations. Proponents argue that the values, political system, and historical development of the U.S. are unique in human history, often with the implication that it is both destined and entitled to play a distinct and positive role on the world stage. It originates in the observations and writings of French political scientist and historian Alexis de Tocqueville, most notably in his comparison of the United States with Great Britain and his native France.
Mike PenceMichael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017, and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013. Born and raised in Columbus, Indiana, Pence graduated from Hanover College and then from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law before entering private practice.
John EdwardsJohnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 alongside John Kerry, losing to incumbents George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. He also was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008. Edwards defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in North Carolina's 1998 Senate election.
