Republican presidential candidate Ryan Binkley told a small audience in Glenwood last Wednesday that America’s problems won’t be fixed as long as the country has a “divided culture.”

“Our country is really broke,” the Texas businessman and Christian pastor told his audience at Keg Creek Brewing Co. “We don’t need to see it on the news – we can see it and feel it. We have a divided culture. The American dream is lost if we don’t fix our culture problems, financial problems and leadership problems.”

Binkley said the U.S. needs a president like Ronald Reagan who can connect with people across the political spectrum. 

“Ronald Reagan won with 49 states (in 1984),” he said. “He connected to people.”

Binkley, president and CEO of Generational Equity and pastor at Create Church in Richardson, Texas, said his unique background sets him apart from the growing list of candidates seeking the Republican Party nomination. He said God is calling him to run for president, but he realizes as a relatively unknown candidate, he has a tough road ahead trying to become his party’s nominee.

“The only way to get a tweet or get on Fox News is to say something loud and abrasive,” he said.

Binkley addressed a variety of topics during his appearance in Glenwood, including immigration and border security, federal debt, the war in Ukraine and the future of the Republican party.

He said the United States hasn’t had a “clear strategy” on immigration and border security for 50 years. Binkley referred to the recently-passed debt ceiling legislation in Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden as the “debt debacle.” He said the bill increases the nation’s ballooning debt from $32 trillion to $36 trillion. He said the national debt has increased significantly in recent years, including by $7.5 trillion during Donald Trump’s presidency. The growing debt will have long-term consequences, he said.

“We have to tell America the truth where we are financially,” Binkley said.

As for the United States’ involvement in the Ukraine – Russia war, Binkley said, “We can communicate better with Russia but we have to stand by freedom.”

Binkley said the Republican Party needs to do a better job of marketing its message, broadening its base in urban areas and attracting younger voters. If the party wants to be successful in future elections, it must seek to attract voters beyond its traditional rural and evangelical bases, he said.

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