My Meeting with Senator Rand Paul

“There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.” — Ronald Reagan

Last week I was on a book tour to Washington, D.C., to promote my latest work, “THE GREATEST AMERICAN.”

My first appearance was on Newt Gingrich’s “Newt’s World” podcast, which you can watch here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-876-the-greatest-american-benjamin-franklin/id1452065072?i=1000719955430.

I also appeared on “Kennedy Saves the World” podcast with Kennedy (Fox News host): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdW8_pd95XI&list=PLWlNiiSXX4BOvPIYDsijpOirBIAf_9qVy&index=3.

Since then, I’ve also been interviewed by Epoch Times, Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, Skeptic magazine and Anthony Scaramucci of Skybridge Capital.

On Thursday, I had lunch with Senator Rand Paul. He is my favorite member of the Senate, very independent and living up to the spirit of his father, Congressman Ron Paul, a long-time friend.

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I’ve traveled with Rand and his wife Kelley to Israel, done a fundraiser for him at our home in California and invited him to speak three or four times at our big show FreedomFest in Las Vegas. At lunch he told me, “FreedomFest is my #1 favorite conference, and I try to get there as often as I can.”

He is hoping to make it next year, but has not confirmed. It will be July 8-11, 2026, at the Caesars Forum Convention Center, and here is our theme in honor the 250^th anniversary of our nation’s founding:

Trump versus Reagan

Given the fact that Senator Paul voted against the gigantic tax bill and strongly opposes the Trump tariffs, I was surprised when he said something that floored me: “President Trump could be the best president I’ve ever seen in my lifetime.”

What! Even better than Ronald Reagan? He answered, “Reagan promised many things, but Trump is actually doing it!” He used the example of the Department of Education. Reagan promised to close it down, but Trump actually signed an executive order dismantling the department.

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Whether he can officially shut down the Department of Education is still unknown, since he would need 60 Senators to agree with him.

President Trump is making wholesale changes in Washington, including closing the U.S.-Mexico door to illegal immigrants, banning transgender athletics in women’s sports and ending DEI programs. He made the 2017 tax cuts permanent. Like Reagan, Trump has pushed tax cuts and deregulation of business.

However, President Reagan’s policies and modus operandi were frequently different in many respects. He favored free trade and globalization, a liberal immigration policy (even granting amnesty to illegals), was less contentious with his critics and took a more humble approach to his accomplishments. He said, “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.”

Quotes on my New Franklin Book

Senator Paul is a big fan of Ben Franklin, and looks forward to reading my book. It has generated a lot of good quotes. Here are some:

“Ben Franklin is the ultimate example of a generative individual — his philosophical, scientific, and political impact is still felt today, resonating throughout American culture.” — Joel Wade, psychologist and motivational speaker

“I have read three chapters of your insightful book on Ben Franklin. I like the format you used, which highlights his ideas rather than following the usual chronological approach.” — Larry Wimmer, BYU professor

“Mark Skousen’s book is not your traditional biography of Ben Franklin. Rather, it’s an exploration of Franklin’s thoughts on a vast variety of topics, and being the polymath that Franklin was, his brilliant insights on so many topics are there for all of us to learn from. One of the things I like best about this book is that it’s as relevant today as any work of current non-fiction. I say that, because Franklin’s wisdom on so many topics is in dire need of understanding, right now.” — Jim Woods, co-editor, Fast Money Alert

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My book is not a biography, but rather 80 short chapters on how to apply Franklin’s life and works to today’s hot issues — personal finance, business, investing, taxes, tariffs and other government policies, war and healthy living.

It’s now in its second edition, and is available as a hardback, audiobook and ebook: The Greatest American: Benjamin Franklin, The World’s Most Versatile Genius: Skousen, Mark: 9781645721000: Amazon.com: Books.

If you order the hardback through my website, Skousen Books at Discount, you pay only $24 ($19 for additional copies). Many bookbuyers are buying more than one copy as gifts. This week one person bought 10 copies as gifts!

I autograph every copy and will include a rare Franklin stamp with each book, making your book a collectible. All books are mailed free of charge inside the United States.

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“He that would go fishing must venture his bait.” — Ben Franklin (p. 50, Maxims of Wall Street)

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Last week, he sent me this email about the Trump trade war: “One thing with all the talk about tariffs I don’t hear much about is how it stifles creativity, competition, innovation and resourcefulness. Tariffs, which protect industry, inhibit those elements.

“There should be free trade throughout, with all participants competing in a free market. Those unable to engage will drop out, pure and simple. Only the best should survive. That way, everyone will be forced to do things better, cheaper and quicker. With protectionism, there is no motivation to improve. Quality will suffer. Everyone suffers… industry, consumers, supply chains and ultimately, yes, longer term, even governments.”

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Amen!

Hugh Endorses One of my Books

Hugh is a big fan of my financial and economics books. At a MoneyShow earlier this year, he wrote our publisher the following: “I must say, I have a bone to pick with Mark. I bought his book, “The Maxims of Wall Street,” and it kept me glued to it until about 2:30 this morning when I could no longer stay awake… it is just that compelling! Most other trading books are a sure cure for insomnia… not Maxims! Well done, Mark! Getting that book was worth every cent of the trip for me.” Thank you, Hugh.

The Maxims isn’t just a series of financial quotes, but each statement is found in a specific category, such as “growth and income,” “contrary investing” and “penny stocks and gold bugs.”

Plus, there are lots of short stories, including the ever-popular “Rich Man’s Pearls of Wisdom” (five in all).

That’s what I hear from readers more and more. They don’t just read it once and put it on the shelf gathering dust. They keep it in their office or bedroom and read from it regularly.

Subscribers continue to order multiple copies — including occasional orders for a whole box (32 copies) — to give out to friends, relatives, colleagues and clients. It makes the ideal gift.

As Bert Dohmen, editor of the Wellington Letter, states, “Beautifully bound collector’s item, it should be on every investor’s bookshelf and read regularly.”

Despite rising inflation, I’ve kept the price at a bargain: $21 for the first copy, and all additional copies $11 each. (A full box of 32 is only $327.) I autograph and number each copy and mail them at no additional charge inside the United States.

Order one or more copies today at www.skousenbooks.com.

Good investing, AEIOU,

Mark Skousen

Mark Skousen, Ph. D., is a professional economist, investment expert, university professor, and author of more than 25 books. He earned his Ph. D. in monetary economics at George Washington University in 1977. He has taught economics and finance at Columbia Business School, Columbia University, Grantham University, Barnard College, Mercy College, Rollins College, and is a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University. He also has been a consultant to IBM, Hutchinson Technology, and other Fortune 500 companies. He is a former analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency, a columnist to Forbes magazine (1997-2001), and past president of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) in New York. He has written articles for The Wall Street Journal, Liberty, Reason, Human Events, the Daily Caller, Christian Science Monitor, and The Journal of Economic Perspectives. He has appeared on ABC News, CNBC Power Lunch, CNN, Fox News, and C-SPAN Book TV. In 2008-09, he was a regular contributor to Larry Kudlow & Co. on CNBC. His economic bestsellers include “Economics on Trial” (Irwin, 1991), “Puzzles and Paradoxes on Economics” (Edward Elgar, 1997), “The Making of Modern Economics” (M. E. Sharpe, 2001, 2009), “The Big Three in Economics” (M. E. Sharpe, 2007), “EconoPower” (Wiley, 2008), and “Economic Logic” (2000, 2010). In 2009, “The Making of Modern Economics” won the Choice Book Award for Outstanding Academic Title. His financial bestsellers include “The Complete Guide to Financial Privacy” (Simon & Schuster, 1983), “High Finance on a Low Budget” (Bantam, 1981), co-authored with his wife Jo Ann, “Scrooge Investing” (Little Brown, 1995; McGraw Hill, 1999), and “Investing in One Lesson” (Regnery, 2007). In honor of his work in economics, finance, and management, Grantham University renamed its business school “The Mark Skousen School of Business.” Dr. Skousen has lived in eight nations, and has traveled and lectured throughout the United States and 70 countries. He grew up in Portland, Ore. He and his wife, Jo Ann, and five children have lived in Washington, D.C.; Nassau, the Bahamas; London, England; Orlando, Fla.; and New York.