DIXON, Ill. – At the premiere of the movie “Reagan” in Dixon, Ill., locals in the late president’s hometown were divided over whether Ronald Reagan would still be welcome in today’s Republican Party.

Most political observers would argue that today’s MAGA movement looks and sounds different than the party once comprised of traditional Reagan conservatives. But actor Dennis Quaid, who plays Reagan in the new biopic, didn’t hesitate when asked if he would accept running for the party in 2024.

“Reagan would be the head of the Republican Party today, there’s no doubt about that,” Quaid told Fox News Digital on the porch of President Reagan’s childhood home. “In some ways, this country is yearning for that. He was also a man of his time. And I think those principles still apply in the Republican Party today.”

DENNIS QUAID WONDERS LOCALS IN DIXON, ILLINOIS, AT ‘REAGAN’ PREMIERE AND SAYS HOLLYWOOD HAS ‘FORGOTTEN’ SMALL TOWNS

Quaid said Reagan faced similar difficulties before his presidency as the United States faces today. (ShowBiz Direct)

Dixon locals had a more mixed reaction to Reagan’s presence in today’s Republican Party while waiting in line for the premiere of “Reagan” hosted by Young America’s Foundation at the Dixon: Historic Theater on Aug. 22. Some said both his policies and temperament were at odds with the modern movement.

“I think they’ve drifted far into the far-right fringe,” said Kevin Strock of Sterling, Illinois, of the party’s changing policies. “Reagan was a moderate. I don’t think he would have been welcome.”

Some analysts say the populist theories of former Presidents Trump and Reagan were at least similar, while others point to major differences.

Some, like author Edwin G. Oswald, claim that “Reagan would not be welcome in today’s Republican Party,” arguing that his immigration policies were “far more liberal than those of today’s Republican Party.” Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986, which granted amnesty to 3 million illegal immigrants. In recent years, during Trump’s rise, more Republicans have opposed granting citizenship to illegal immigrants and have placed renewed emphasis on border control and preventing illegal immigration.

John Lehman of the Wall Street Journal focused more on temperament when he wrote, “Reagan would never vote for Trump.”

“Reagan’s 11th commandment was ‘Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican,’ but Donald Trump is not an heir to Reagan’s legacy. He is an insult to it,” Lehman said. “The Reagan I knew would have been appalled that someone as unfit as Trump had become the standard-bearer of the GOP. Reagan was also deeply opposed to President Biden’s agenda, and he never trusted or particularly liked then-Senator Biden.”

Several attendees at the “Reagan” premiere praised him for his integrity, his morals and his ability to “agree to disagree,” suggesting that no current presidential candidate possesses these qualities and that today’s politicians are more interested in tearing each other down.

“Unfortunately, he probably wouldn’t,” said one local when asked if Reagan would fit into today’s Republican Party.

Dennis Quaid almost turned down the role of “Reagan” until one thing convinced him to accept it

President Reagan meets with members of Congress in the Cabinet Room to discuss the situation in Grenada. From left: Congressman Bob Michel, Speaker Tip O’Neill, the President, and Senator Howard Baker. (Bettmann / Contributor / Getty)

But some, like Quaid, believed 40 would still be welcome as party leader. He and Dwight D. Eisenhower are the only Republicans since World War II to win consecutive terms while receiving a majority of the vote both times.

“I do,” said Sara Ortgiesen of Dixon, who marched in Reagan’s inauguration parade. “Personally, I do. I think he would have known how to do that. He was an actor, too,” she laughed.

“Oh, I think so too,” Becky Anderson of Rock Falls, Illinois, told Fox News Digital before the screening of “Reagan.” “I think most real Republicans look to Ronald Reagan as the model of a real Republican.”

The comparison sheds light on the politics of the two politicians. Trump recently described Vice President Kamala Harris’ plan to ban price gouging as “socialist” and called her “Comrade Kamala.” Quaid commented on what he thought Reagan would say about Harris’ economic agenda.

Assassination attempt on Trump brings back memories of similar attack on Reagan

Dennis Quaid in his role as Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office (Noah “Nanea” Hamilton/Rawhide Pictures)

“As far as price controls go, I know Reagan would not have supported that because he believed in the free market. He will find his own way,” Quaid said.

“Reagan won the Cold War,” Quaid said. “Reagan also testified that communists were trying to take over the unions in Hollywood, not just the actors’ union, but the set builders’ union, the cameramen’s union, the writers’ union, everything, and make everything one. And of course they had to go through the actors’ union first, that was the hardest.”

“And Reagan fought against it at the time,” Quaid continued. “And when he testified before Congress, he said we as a nation should just go ahead and allow the Communist Party to come into the country and let them express their ideas and everything else because democracy can handle it. And it would sort itself out. Because people would see the common sense in things. He believed in common sense.”

Reagan and Trump also surprised their respective political worlds with their presidential elections in 1980 and 2016; both elections are widely regarded as turning points in the reordering of the political landscape.

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One alarming similarity between Reagan and Trump is undeniable: Both men survived assassination attempts. Quaid and his constituents spoke about the political violence that nearly took their lives and shared with them their sobering feelings.

“Well, I had the same reaction I had when Reagan was shot,” Quaid said. “Thank God he survived. Because my first thought when Reagan was shot was the memory of the Kennedy shooting, which paralyzed the spirit of our nation for several decades. It was Ronald Reagan who actually brought that spirit back to life.”

“Reagan” is now in theaters.

Kendall Tietz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.