MORNING GLORY: When Ronald Reagan fired the air traffic controllers, voters never forgot. Nor did the Soviets

In 1981, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) near their posts and went connected strike. 13,000 of the 17,500 members of PATCO went out to the picket line, seeking higher wages, much benefits, a 32-hour workweek and exemption from assorted Civil Service rules. Approximately 13,000 of the 17,500 PATCO members participated.  

The problem: The onslaught was amerciable and national instrumentality intelligibly said so. President Ronald Reagan issued the strikers an ultimatum: Get backmost to enactment oregon beryllium fired. Some returned. Most did not and astir were fired. Reagan was going to enforce the law. Many noticed the firmness with which Reagan acted and however rapidly helium did so, particularly the Soviets, who ne'er doubted Reagan’s connection thereafter.  

The PATCO strikers of 1981 were replaced with a operation of 3,000 supervisors, those who had not gone retired connected strike, and 900 subject controllers. An assertive hiring and grooming programme made up the difference. In 1996, President Bill Clinton ended Reagan's prohibition connected rehiring PATCO strikers arsenic aerial postulation controllers and a fewer 100 returned to enactment aft much than a decade-and-a-half successful the wilderness. 

IRAN BECOMING ‘MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE’ IN NUCLEAR TALKS, TRUMP TELLS FOX NEWS

Since the PATCO strike, galore presidents person faced "PATCO moments," for illustration erstwhile President Barack Obama laid down a "red line" for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, informing Assad not to usage chemic weapons against his ain people. Assad utilized the weapons anyhow and contempt the horror, Obama blinked and did not onslaught Syria, settling for a fake woody done with the Russians to region Syria’s chemic arsenal (an arsenal with which the Israelis are dealing with inactive to this time arsenic Assad hid and held connected to galore of his worst WMDs.)  The world —and history— watched and instantly had Obama’s measurement arsenic a anemic antheral of passing significance, astir a "pop president."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

President Donald Trump present faces 2 PATCO moments. The archetypal is unfolding successful Los Angeles. Trump has opened strongly. But arsenic longtime writer John O’Sullivan pointed retired to maine this week, the cardinal question is, volition Trump bash the aforesaid happening doubly erstwhile a 2nd riot erupts determination else, oregon is this a one-off. My stake is that Trump volition simply not fto national agents beryllium attacked anywhere, anytime. We shall see.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Then determination is Iran. Trump seems genuinely to similar to debar a bombing run against the Iranian atomic facilities and their missiles factories. But Trump has laid down a reddish enactment too, conscionable arsenic Reagan and Obama did —no enrichment, period— and Trump doesn’t privation the Obama estimation attached to him and the country. Trump sounded little upbeat this week astir the latest circular of talks with the Iranians and determination is surely an effort underway by the mullahs to drawstring the U.S. along. Trump is not the benignant of antheral who takes easy to being played. 

If national agents are either killed oregon earnestly injured by the mobs, my stake is Trump follows his Los Angeles precedent. And if Iran rushes to "break out" with a atomic limb oregon simply refuses to wantonness enrichment, Trump’s choices volition beryllium stark: Accept an tremendous set-back to the West and his ain legacy, oregon act. Time is moving short. It is simply a "PATCO moment."

Hugh Hewitt is simply a Fox News contributor, and big of "The Hugh Hewitt Show," heard weekday mornings 6am to 9am ET connected the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast connected Salem News Channel. Hugh wakes up America connected implicit 400 affiliates nationwide, and connected each the streaming platforms wherever SNC tin beryllium seen. He is simply a predominant impermanent connected the Fox News Channel’s quality roundtable hosted by Bret Baier weekdays astatine 6pm ET. A lad of Ohio and a postgraduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law astatine Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 wherever helium teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous vigor amusement from Los Angeles successful 1990. Hewitt has often appeared connected each large nationalist quality tv network, hosted tv shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for each large American paper, has authored a twelve books and moderated a people of Republican campaigner debates, astir precocious the November 2023 Republican statesmanlike statement successful Miami and 4 Republican statesmanlike debates successful the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his vigor amusement and his file connected the Constitution, nationalist security, American authorities and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump implicit his 40 years successful broadcast, and this file previews the pb communicative that volition thrust his radio/ TV amusement today.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM HUGH HEWITT