IMPACT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES.
ALL RIGHT, PRESIDENT TRUMP
AWARDING LEGENDARY RUNNER JIM
RYAN THE NATION’S HIGHEST
CIVILIAN HONOR, THE MEDAL OF
FREEDOM.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: THE AMERICAN
ATHLETICS, A DEDICATED PUBLIC
SERVANT AND A MAN OF CHARITY,
GENEROSITY, AND FAITH, HE’S A
GREAT MAN ACTUALLY, JIM, THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR UNFAILING
DEVOTION TO OUR COUNTRY AND
CONGRATULATIONS ON A LIFETIME OF
INCREDIBLE SUCCESS.
PETE: THE FORMER REPUBLICAN
CONGRESSMAN AND THREE-TIME
OLYMPIAN MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF
EARLY ON IN HIS
CAREER AS THE FIRST HIGH SCHOOL
ATHLETE TO RUN A MILE IN UNDER
FOUR MINUTES.
HE JOINS US NOW ALONG WITH HIS
SON, YOU KNOW HIM AMERICAN
MAJORITY CEO AND FRIEND OF THE
SHOW, NED RYAN, TO REFLECT
ON THIS GREAT HONOR.
THE RYANS WITH US THIS MORNING
IT’S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU BOTH.
CONGRESSMAN I’LL START WITH YOU.
THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING US AS
YOUR FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE
THAT AMAZING DAY YESTERDAY.
JUST REFLECT ON THAT MOMENT AT
THE WHITE HOUSE, YESTERDAY.
>> WELL IT WAS VERY SPECIAL
PETE, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON
PETE: OF COURSE.
>> IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
TO REFLECT ON A VERY SIMPLE
PRAYER, PRAYED BY A JUNIOR HIGH
BOY WHO HAD BEEN CUT FROM EVERY
ATHLETIC TEAM HE TRIED OUT FOR
INCLUDING THE CHURCH
BASEBALL TEAM AND I’D GO TO BED
AT NIGHT AND SIGH DEAR GOD, MY
RESUME IS NOT GOOD.
I’D LIKE IT TO BE SOMETHING I
FEEL LIKE YOU’VE HAD A PLAN FOR
MY LIFE AND BY THE WAY IF IT
COULD SHOW UP IN SPORTS I’D
REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND I’D SAY
GOODNIGHT AND GO TO SLEEP AND
BOY DID HE SHOW UP AS YOU
MENTIONED A LOT OF WONDERFUL
THINGS AND THEN YESTERDAY THE
PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF
FREEDOM A GREAT HONOR AND I’M
VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
PETE: CUT FROM THE CHURCH
BASEBALL TEAM.
YOU REBOUNDED NICELY TO PUT IT
KINDLY BUT YOU TALKED A LITTLE
BIT ALSO ABOUT WEARING THE STARS
AND STRIPES OF OUR NATION AS AN
OLYMPIAN AND THE MOMENT
WE’RE IN RIGHT NOW.
REFLECT ON AN AUTHENTICALLY
AMERICAN LIFE THAT YOU’VE LIVED.
>> IT WAS SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO
BE ON THREE DIFFERENT OLYMPIC
TEAMS TO WEAR THOSE COLORS, KNOW
THAT YOU’RE REPRESENTING YOUR
COUNTRY AND WANTING TO DO IT IN
A WAY THAT IT BE HONORING AND
YOU COULD EXPRESS YOUR PRIDE AND
SO IT WAS JUST I DON’T HAVE TO
SAY IT ANY OTHER WAY OTHER THAN
A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO
LET THE LIGHT SHINE ON THIS
FABULOUS COUNTRY WE HAVE.
PETE: AMEN.
NED, WE’RE ALL PROUD OF OUR POP
S BUT I GOT TO BELIEVE WHEN
YOU’RE SITTING THERE WATCHING
HIM GET THIS HONOR, WHAT AN
AMAZING FEELING AS A SON.
>> OH, IT WAS INCREDIBLE PETE.
YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
BACK IN THE 1960S, TRACK AND
FIELD IS A HUGE DEAL.
THE PREMIER EVENT IS THE MILE
AND YOU HAD THIS YOUNG KID FROM
WICHITA LIKE A KANSAS WHIRL WIND
AND HE BREAKS THE FOUR MINUTE
MILE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND BREAKS
THE WORLD RECORD AT THE AGE OF
19 BY MULTIPLE SECONDS, BECOMES
NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD, BECOMES
A LEGEND, AN ICON AND TRULY A
HERO TO GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE,
AND PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK ME, YOU
KNOW, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO HAVE
JIM RYUN AS YOUR FATHER AND I’D
ALWAYS TELL HIM, HE’S MY DAD AND
IT WASN’T UNTIL 11 OR 12 IT
KIND OF CLICKED THAT THIS GUY IS
KIND OF FAMOUS BUT I TELL PEOPLE
ALL THE TIME THAT THE HONEST,
DECENT, KIND, GRATEFUL, HUMBLE
PERSON YOU SEE IN PUBLIC THAT’S
WHO HE IS IN PRIVATE AND HE’S
TAUGHT ME SO MANY LESSONS BE
HONEST, BE HUMBLE, BE KIND, YOU
KNOW, WHICH I STRUGGLE WITH
SOMETIMES, PETE, ON TV BUT IT’S
ASPIRATIONAL BUT ALSO
PERSPECTIVE.
I MEAN THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT
THINGS ABOUT MY DAD.
HE WAS THE NUMBER ONE IN THE
WORLD AND I TELL PEOPLE ALL
THE TIME, PETE OF ALL OF THE
PEOPLE OF THE WORLD THAT
WALKED THE HALLS OF CONGRESS
THAT ARE IN D.C., THERE’S VERY
FEW PEOPLE THAT CAN SAY I WAS
ABSOLUTELY THE NUMBER ONE BEST
IN THE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE, I WAS
TRULY NUMBER ONE AT WHAT I DID
AND MY DAD CAN DO THAT BUT HE’S
KIND AND HONEST AND GRACIOUS BUT
HE HAD PERSPECTIVE, AND THE
THING THAT HE ALWAYS TELLS
PEOPLE IS THIS.
PURSUE GREATNESS, PURSUE
SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK FEEDS
YOUR GRASP BUT REMEMBER IN THAT
PURSUIT, YOU’RE DOING IT FOR GOD
’S GLORY, RIGHT?
THAT’S THE ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE.
THE WORD OF GOD IS FOREVER AND
THAT’S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
LESSONS HE’S TAUGHT ME.
PETE: JIM YOU’RE OBVIOUSLY A
GREAT FATHER AS WELL AND WE LOVE
NED, LOVE HAVING HIM ON THE
SHOW.
AT THIS MOMENT 2020 WHERE WE ARE
WITH A COUNTRY WITH AN ELECTION
AHEAD OF US AND SO MUCH SURROUND
ING US WHAT’S YOUR
MESSAGE AS A LEADER IN THIS
COUNTRY TO OUR COUNTRY?
>> WELL TO DREAM BIG AND THAT
WOULD FIT IN WELL WITH OUR
COUNTRY, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
BROUGHT US TO ANOTHER LEVEL OF
APPRECIATION.
THERE’S CONFLICT GOING ON, BUT
LOOK TO THE FUTURE.
MY COACH,
COACH TIMMONS CHALLENGED ME WHEN
I WAS A SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL
TO BECOME THE FIRST HIGH SCHOOL
BOY TO RUN IN THE FOUR MINUTES
JUST NINE NINE YEARS EARLIER,
AND SO HE CHANGED MY PARADIGM SO
THAT BE PART OF WHAT I WOULD SAY
, YOU KNOW, NED HASSELBERG
BEEN VERY GENEROUS WITH THE
COMMENTS BUT TEACH TIMMONS
MENTORED ME, THAT YOU
COULD DO SOMETHING EVEN AFTER
BEING CUT FROM THE CHURCH
BASEBALL TEAM THAT AMOUNTS TO A
GREAT FUTURE SO DON’T BE AFRAID
TO DREAM BIG.
YOU’LL FAIL AT SOMETHING SO FAIL
AT SOMETHING YOU LIKE AND
REMEMBER FAILURE IS JUST A
TEMPORARY DETOUR TO SUCCESS SO
DON’T BE AFRAID TO TRY AND I
BELIEVE THAT’S WHERE OUR COUNTRY
IS, WE’RE ENTERING INTO ANOTHER
STEP FORWARD IF WE CHOOSE TO
MAKE THAT I CHOOSE TO MAKE THAT
AND MILLIONS OF OTHER AMERICANS
DO AS WELL.
WE WANT TO RETURN AMERICA TO
GREATNESS.
PETE: BEAUTIFUL WORDS NOW I GOTTA CALL MY DAD AFTER THIS.
GOTTA CALL MY DAD AFTER THIS.
BUT JIM AND NED RYUN, THANK YOU