Both. Reagan was a staunch anti-Communist, and worked towards their downfall. But also, all presidents need public support for their policies so they can get

Both. Reagan was a staunch anti-Communist, and worked towards their downfall. But also, all presidents need public support for their policies so they can get Congress to send them the bills they want[0]. So speeches are usually written so that citizens will call their Representatives and urge them to draft or vote for legislation on the issue. Reagan's nickname is "The Great Communicator" and he was one of the most effective presidential speakers of his time (I would pick Kennedy over him as being the best of the 20th century, but both were very good) https://www.reaganfoundation.org/education/virtual-learning-hub/the-great-communicator/ https://www.reaganfoundation.org/education/virtual-learning-... [0] The use of Executive Orders used to be much less frequent. The President would instead use their influence to get bills passed and sent to him for signing.