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Hi, everyone, welcome back. Yo, let's take a break from what's breaking in the news, and I'll take your calls in about 12 minutes. But I want to talk about our history. We're coming up by year 250. When you think about founding fathers and impactful families, really among the tops ever, the most who's contributed more, very few than the Adams family.
I'm talking about John Adams, John Quincy Adams. You think about Henry Adams. You think about Abigail Adams.
Well, that has not slipped. The mind of the Gingrich family, now Jackie Gingrich Cushman. She is chair of the Adams Memorial Commission and president of the Adams Memorial Foundation, and she wants to make sure our second president is recognized. Jackie, welcome. Thank you so much for having me on, Brian.
I really appreciate it. I can't believe it's come to this. Like, I did not know we have not sectioned anything off in Washington for John Adams, you know, for what he's done, and even going back to the Boston Massacre and who he represented, the British soldiers, and what he's done, and his wife, and the letters back and forth during the Declaration of Independence.
So, what alerted you to this, and what made this a mission for you?
Well, there's such an interesting family. You're exactly right.
So, the Adams Memorial Commission was passed by Congress years ago. And the way it's structured is: we have four congressmen, four senators, and four presidential appointees. And President Trump appointed me to the Adams Memorial Commission. And quite frankly, I was as surprised as you are, as many people are, to find out there is nothing in Washington, D.C. For John Abigail, John Quincy, any of the Adams family.
So that is the mission of the commission.
So I'm so grateful. for President Trump appointing me to this commission. And I know your dad's in a story, and you couldn't grow up in your house and not have a sense of what this country's come from and the people that made such a difference. I mean, John Adams, okay, we got it: second president, first vice president, and then what he's contributed to the country. But I also think it's interesting that John Quincy Adams, I think he's an underappreciated president.
And basically, his mentor was more Thomas Jefferson than even his dad. Think about the impact he had. What a scholar this kid was. Oh, you're exactly right. I think he's one of the more interesting figures in the family.
I mean, so he was born, right, a subject, a British subject in the colonies before the Revolutionary War. He then watched the Battle of Bunker Hill with his mother when he was a child, then served overseas, to your point. I mean, you mentioned he served overseas, the country, with his father as his own ambassador. He knew all of these founding fathers, like Thomas Jefferson. Secretary of State.
President and then went back to Congress and fought against slavery. I mean, he spans. decades of our history. It made an enormous impact. Right.
And Abigail Adams was uh was uh our first impact one of our first impactful women, right? Don't forget the women was uh what she would say to her husband in letters. when you when you're negotiating the con writing the constitution and the declaration.
So she's fascinated because, in a time when women were not really educated, she was self-educated. And her husband, John Adams, really viewed her. As an intellectual equal.
So when he was president, she was his cabinet of one. She really was there for him in all the thought processes and decision makings. And when she wasn't there, He would write her letters. We have these wonderful letters about: please, can't you come and be with me? I need you with me.
He was uh went over to be an ambassador to England, right?
So he had to interact with the king after their victory and their independence, not easy. Also, I believe he was on the the treaty to end the war of 1812, the treaty of Ghent. Yes, you're correct. But he did so much. And the interesting thing is, if you look at John Adams, he's right between Washington and Jefferson.
He nominated George Washington to be our commander-in-chief, and he nominated Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence.
So, John Adams, even though he was between the two, he really was always thinking strategically: what do we need to do as a country? To secure our freedom. And just to give a, I do not know much about Henry Adams and Charles Adams. Is there anything you could enlighten us on?
So, interestingly enough, Charles, especially, I think, is very fascinating because he was. Our ambassador to the Court of St. James. Just like John Adams, right? But obviously, decades later, during the Civil War under Abraham Lincoln and kept.
Great Britain from recognizing the Confederacy.
So that clearly could change the course of history. Yes, absolutely. You're right. And then you have Henry Adams in there and Louisa Catherine Adams.
So together, you would like to have the whole family represented. What does this memorial look like? Roughly, where do you want it located?
So where we are in the process is it's a very long process to get a memorial built. We have legislation in front of Congress. It's been out of committee. It would give us a very, very prominent spot, which clearly the Adams deserve. I mean, he was our second president.
He and Abigail were the first ones to live in the White House.
So it would be on the. Ellipse on the south on the south lawn of the White House. to the right.
So it would be a great connection between the White House. The new Adams Memorial. Then the Washington Memorial, Washington Monument, and then the Jefferson Memorial. It'd be a great way to have all three. north to south.
The first time I realized how special John Adams was was the David McCullough book. as he brought him to life. And he talked about John Adams quoting him as he pulled into New York, I guess, on a horse. And he said, What's it with these people? They are so rude and everyone's in a rush.
I'm like, really? In seventeen seventy, New Yorkers were already rude and in a rush? Absolutely. But he's such an interesting person because he didn't come for money, right? He went to Harvard on a scholarship.
He became a lawyer. He then defended.
So John Adams defended the British soldiers at the Boston Massacre because he believed in the rule of law. He knew it hurt his practice, it did for a while, but John Adams always did what he thought was right. regardless of the consequences, which is why he's so interesting.
So what you're talking about in seventeen seventy, right, was when this took place. British soldiers were accused of murdering townspeople and They were, they said that they didn't shoot anyone that died, it wasn't from them, or wasn't done on purpose. And he represented the British soldiers in a time in which this country was about to overflow into a revolution.
So he said, because it's the right thing to do. But then you have to really think about it.
Okay, before we have a constitution, before we have a declaration, before we have a set of laws, he said instinctively, as I was raised, everyone deserves innocent to proven guilty and deserves representation. I mean, that to me is values and ethics. Who believe absolutely. I mean, it's really interesting because even to your point, even before that we actually declared our freedom, he was thinking about how we should be structured.
So it took a long time. You know, now it looks like obviously, you know, we became a free nation, but it took time, it took thought, it took effort, and it took founding families like the Adams to make it happen. And we should be so grateful to them.
Now, is there a reason why Sam Adams is not in this?
Well, Sam Adams is a cousin, so he's separate, but he was very influential even with John and kind of pulled John in very early on. But he was Sons of Liberty.
So they looked at Sam Adams as a kind of an aggressive guy, but they still got along and they still respected the fact that John was representing was representing the British soldiers, and yet Sam Adams was organizing the townspeople and putting together militias. He was a fascinating man. But the thing I love about this project is, first of all, it's based on our founding families. And secondly, it's actually a family that. believe in God.
believed in our nation and believed in passing down family values. And that's so important for us to remember. Today.
So, what could we do if people are listening to this and saying, I'd like to help? What do we do?
So go we have a website. You can go to theadamsmemorial.org. And we have a place to sign up for our newsletters and information. Obviously, we would love to have you write your congressman and centers and say, we want this memorial in DC, pass this law, please. And then, of course, we're always looking for private donations on the foundation because it will be a public-private.
Partnership.
So let me ask: there's some people in the establishment Republican Party that never bought into Trump.
Well, you know, I don't know how he won, and then now he wins again. And that, you know, it's even the ones that aren't critics, they sit on the sidelines. We know about the famous ones that Republicans that are anti-Trump, but that number is shrinking. Why is it that your dad, a conservative Republican from a traditional conservative background, can adjust to this Maverick businessman who came new to the Republican Party after being a Democrat? Why is it that, in your opinion, there's no wrong answer, in your opinion, why is it that the Gingriches and Trumps get along?
I think a lot of that is because they know them personally, right?
So he knows Trump personally. He knows he has a good heart. He knows he wants what's best for this country. I mean, no one's going to agree with any elected figure 100% unless they're that person themselves.
So you have to really think about, do you trust the person and are they headed the right way? And they have a very great relationship. They talk quite frequently. And I know my dad's a huge supporter. Yeah, no doubt about it.
Jackie Gingrich Cushman, chair of the Adams Memorial Commission and president of the Adams Memorial Foundation, best of luck. I can't see anybody standing in your way, Democrat or Republican. Before there was really Democrat or Republican Party.
So don't tell me this is partisan. Jackie, thank you. Thank you so much for having me on. I appreciate it. You got it.
It's Will Kane Country. Watch it live at noon Eastern Monday through Thursday at FoxNews.com or on the Fox News YouTube channel. And don't miss the show. Listen and follow the podcast five days a week at FoxnewsPodcasts.com or wherever you download your favorite podcasts. Mm.
