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-[Ronald] Where do you want me?
-[man] You're right.
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[man] No, you're gonna sit
right there.
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00:00:06,006 --> 00:00:09,926
[indistinct conversations]
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00:00:09,968 --> 00:00:11,177
[Ronald] Hello, Robert.
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[indistinct chatter continues]
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[man] Mr. Vice President.
Good to see you.
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[indistinct chatter continues]
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dramatic music plays
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[camera shutter clicks]
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[indistinct chatter continues]
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[man] Mr. President,
how could so much be going on
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inside your White House without
you knowing about it, sir?
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[man] Mr. President,
as a result...
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[chuckles]
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[woman]
Well, don't you think it's--
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[laughs]
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[applause]
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[applause continues]
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I'm Dorothy Ridings,
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President of the League
of Women Voters,
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the sponsor of tonight's
first presidential debate
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between
Republican Ronald Reagan,
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and Democrat Walter Mondale.
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And now let us begin the debate
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with the first question,
Mr. Wieghart.
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Mr. President, in 1980...
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[Baker] When the red light
went on the camera,
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he was superb.
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And so I was always one
who was in favor of his debating
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because I thought
he was so good.
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I mean, he didn't have facts
and figures.
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He wasn't a policy wonk.
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But he could take
the temperature
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of the American people
pretty damn well.
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The system is still
where it was
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00:02:01,162 --> 00:02:05,625
with regard to, uh...the...
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uh...with regard to the--
the, uh...
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progressivity, as I've said.
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Well, the first debate
was a fucking disaster.
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And the guy that knew it was
a disaster was Ronald Reagan.
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So there are a host
of other figures
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that reveal that...
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the, uh,
the--the grant programs
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are spending a third more
on all of the...uh...
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well, all of the programs
of human service.
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We...We have...
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We have more people
receiving food stamps...
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[Ron Jr.] I was watching it
on television,
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and I began to, you know,
think, you know,
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"Whoa, what--what is happening?
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This--he doesn't--
this is not my familiar father
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here on the TV in this debate."
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And a lot of people
started talking then
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about what's wrong with him?
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Is he too old to be president?
Does he have Alzheimer's?
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So this was a discussion
that was sort of widespread
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in the country.
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[man] One case study
was Mrs. Reagan's reaction
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00:03:02,599 --> 00:03:04,142
to the first debate
with Walter Mondale,
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00:03:04,184 --> 00:03:06,769
and the president's
fumbling performance.
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00:03:06,811 --> 00:03:10,523
She was upset,
and everybody knew it.
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-And rightly so.
-How so?
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I mean, what did she--
did she chew people out
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or what...
I mean, what went on?
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Oh, I'm not
gonna get into that.
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You--
you'd have to ask her that.
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-I was upset.
-Because?
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Because I thought
they'd gone about it all wrong.
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And they had. [chuckles]
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In terms
of preparing the president?
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Yes. Yes.
They overloaded him.
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He know--He--He--
he knows all those things.
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They don't have to overload him.
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-And were they...
-[Spencer] He screwed up.
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It was not because these facts
were put in his head.
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It's because he did not do
his homework.
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Weekend before the debate,
three of us went to Camp David.
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I brought the debate book,
which was six inches thick,
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put it on a credenza.
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He was supposed to start
doing his homework.
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I go to my cabin.
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I get a phone call,
"Hey, you wanna watch a movie?"
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He says,
"What do you wanna watch?
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00:04:03,326 --> 00:04:07,705
Bedtime for Bonzo "
I said, "No." "Why?"
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I said, "Listen, any time
the lead actor's a gorilla,
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it's a crappy movie."
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He walks in the bedroom, pissed.
Nancy's over there like this.
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00:04:18,299 --> 00:04:21,719
She goes, "Stu,
he loves Bedtime for Bonzo.
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00:04:21,761 --> 00:04:24,764
You're on thin ice."
[laughs]
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I said, "Okay. I'll watch
the goddamn picture."
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[film reel whirring]
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[Spencer] The whole weekend,
I watched the debate book.
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It didn't move.
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Two days later,
he screws up the debate.
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I knew it. He knew it.
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[applause]
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Nancy made
her feelings very clear,
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as only she could,
that her husband didn't win
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with the quality
of his arguments.
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[applause]
- He had to win by being
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so familiar and friendly
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that the facts wouldn't matter.
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00:05:03,761 --> 00:05:06,597
He was a performer at heart.
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00:05:06,639 --> 00:05:11,102
Having a wife who was able
to buck him up
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00:05:11,144 --> 00:05:14,772
and tell him that he--
he'd do fine in the next debate,
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that was really important
for that second debate.
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00:05:17,191 --> 00:05:19,652
[man] I recall yet
that President Kennedy
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had to go for days on end
with very little sleep
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during the Cuba missile crisis.
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Is there any doubt in your mind
that you would be able
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to function
in such circumstances?
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00:05:28,536 --> 00:05:30,121
Not at all.
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00:05:30,163 --> 00:05:32,457
[Rollins] We kept him
very relaxed the second time.
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00:05:32,498 --> 00:05:34,667
All he had to do is not stand
up there and drool,
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00:05:34,709 --> 00:05:36,419
and he'd been just fine,
and he--
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and he had this humorous line.
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I will not make age
an issue of this campaign.
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I am not going to exploit,
for political purposes,
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00:05:45,845 --> 00:05:48,014
my opponent's youth
and inexperience.
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[laughter]
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[Rollins] That was over.
The race was over.
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I said, "Fuck.
Get that on the air, baby.
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That's--That's the game."
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[Alter]
The line was so powerful
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that everybody forgot the fact
that he had just kind of spilled
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00:06:03,404 --> 00:06:08,242
the beans about an illegal
operation in Nicaragua.
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00:06:08,284 --> 00:06:10,703
We have a gentleman
down in Nicaragua
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who is on contract to the CIA,
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00:06:14,374 --> 00:06:18,628
advising supposedly on military
tactics the, uh, Contras.
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00:06:18,669 --> 00:06:21,172
Mr. President,
you are implying then
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that the CIA in Nicaragua
is directing the Contras there?
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I'm afraid I misspoke
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when I said, uh,
a CIA head in Nicaragua.
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00:06:28,262 --> 00:06:30,515
There's not someone there
directing all this activity.
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Uh, there are, as you know...
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[Alter] Reagan accidentally
revealed a covert operation,
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but hardly anybody noticed.
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A couple of years later,
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that would be close
to the center of the scandal
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00:06:43,861 --> 00:06:47,365
that nearly ended
the Reagan presidency.
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00:06:48,950 --> 00:06:51,244
[Stahl]
Our job with presidents
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is to hold their feet
to the fire.
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I was encouraged to be
very tough at the White House.
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00:06:56,582 --> 00:07:01,045
But when Reagan came in,
my boss has changed direction.
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00:07:01,087 --> 00:07:04,757
They were taking out things
that sounded like criticism,
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00:07:04,799 --> 00:07:06,801
removing them.
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00:07:06,843 --> 00:07:10,721
Everybody was afraid
to contradict him.
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The media was gentler on Reagan
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because of public opinion,
I think.
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00:07:16,769 --> 00:07:21,983
[Wiley] Reagan knew exactly how
to play on the feelings
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00:07:22,024 --> 00:07:24,068
of the American public.
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He could use his personality
and his effectiveness
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as a communicator to say,
"Don't look at the truth.
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Look at what I'm telling you."
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Before we begin,
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I know we never have enough time
or anything,
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but I think it's appropriate.
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Could you listen
to a bit of poetry?
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-Yes. [chuckles]
-This is from Kipling.
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It is always a temptation
to an armed and agile nation
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to call upon a neighbor
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and to say,
"We invaded you last night.
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We are quite prepared to fight,
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unless you pay us cash
to go away."
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[Baker] President Reagan's
management style
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was to hire people
that he had confidence in,
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00:08:01,856 --> 00:08:04,775
delegate responsibility to them,
168
00:08:04,817 --> 00:08:08,654
and give them the authority
to perform.
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00:08:08,696 --> 00:08:11,741
[Powell]
The president was very clear
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00:08:11,782 --> 00:08:13,659
that he expected us
to get the work done.
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00:08:13,701 --> 00:08:16,996
He wasn't somebody who would
spend all his time dialing in
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00:08:17,038 --> 00:08:18,915
or digging
into what you're doing.
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He gave us great flexibility,
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sometimes too much flexibility,
and it got him in trouble.
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Today I am announcing
the following reassignment
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of responsibilities among two
of my most senior advisors.
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I intend to appoint
Donald T. Regan
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as Chief of Staff
and Assistant to the President
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00:08:39,727 --> 00:08:41,479
effective upon the date...
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[Tumulty] When Don Regan
becomes Chief of Staff,
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00:08:43,856 --> 00:08:46,776
Nancy is not happy.
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Along with Baker's departure
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00:08:48,736 --> 00:08:51,531
is the departure
of Michael Deaver,
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00:08:51,572 --> 00:08:54,992
who was a long-time advisor.
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00:08:55,034 --> 00:08:58,037
These were
Nancy Reagan's eyes and ears.
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00:08:58,079 --> 00:09:02,250
They were her early warning
system in the West Wing.
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00:09:02,291 --> 00:09:06,963
[indistinct chatter]
188
00:09:11,842 --> 00:09:13,219
[birds chirping]
189
00:09:13,261 --> 00:09:17,014
Don Regan,
Gordon told me he's golfed-out.
190
00:09:17,056 --> 00:09:18,641
He's golfed-out? Well,
I-- I'm--
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00:09:18,683 --> 00:09:20,017
I've got
a couple of little things
192
00:09:20,059 --> 00:09:21,811
up here he could do.
-[laughs]
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00:09:21,852 --> 00:09:24,689
He could clear some brush,
a little variety.
194
00:09:24,730 --> 00:09:26,816
How is he gonna clear a golf--
brush with a golf club?
195
00:09:26,857 --> 00:09:29,193
[chuckling]
196
00:09:29,235 --> 00:09:32,196
He could do a little riding,
exercise some horses.
197
00:09:32,238 --> 00:09:34,282
Mm-hmm.
198
00:09:34,323 --> 00:09:35,950
He should have
a change of pace.
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00:09:35,992 --> 00:09:37,994
-Mm-hmm.
-[chuckles]
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00:09:38,035 --> 00:09:40,079
-Don't you think?
-Yeah.
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00:09:40,121 --> 00:09:44,375
Okay. You tell him.
[laughs]
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00:09:44,417 --> 00:09:45,835
-[man] So help me God.
-So help me God.
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00:09:45,876 --> 00:09:47,420
-Congratulations, sir.
-Thank you.
204
00:09:47,461 --> 00:09:49,589
Thank you very much.
Just call me "Chief."
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00:09:49,630 --> 00:09:51,924
[laughter]
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00:09:51,966 --> 00:09:53,843
[Baker] Don Regan,
I don't think,
207
00:09:53,884 --> 00:09:56,596
after he replaced me
as Chief of Staff,
208
00:09:56,637 --> 00:10:00,766
ever really understood
that this Chief of Staff's job
209
00:10:00,808 --> 00:10:04,186
is primarily a staff job,
not a chief job.
210
00:10:04,228 --> 00:10:06,564
How are we doing
with the immigration issue?
211
00:10:06,606 --> 00:10:08,858
[Rollins] He didn't give Nancy
much reverence.
212
00:10:08,899 --> 00:10:10,276
As a matter of fact,
he made the comment,
213
00:10:10,318 --> 00:10:11,944
"I'm not hired to be
the fucking Chief of Staff
214
00:10:11,986 --> 00:10:14,113
to the First Lady."
215
00:10:14,155 --> 00:10:18,075
Her political antenna
were far more sensitive
216
00:10:18,117 --> 00:10:19,660
than President Reagan's were.
217
00:10:19,702 --> 00:10:24,290
Happy birthday,
dear Donald
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00:10:24,332 --> 00:10:26,459
[Ron Jr.] You could call
my father gullible
219
00:10:26,500 --> 00:10:29,795
to a certain extent.
He was trusting of people.
220
00:10:29,837 --> 00:10:32,465
She was not.
My mother was not.
221
00:10:32,506 --> 00:10:37,511
That was not her default
position--trust in people.
222
00:10:37,553 --> 00:10:40,348
[Spencer] Nancy had a great deal
of power with her husband,
223
00:10:40,389 --> 00:10:44,518
but she had to hide it
in different roles.
224
00:10:47,355 --> 00:10:50,483
[Baker] When we would have
an important thing to schedule,
225
00:10:50,524 --> 00:10:53,694
I would go to Dever and I'd say,
"Now what about doing this
226
00:10:53,736 --> 00:10:55,154
on such and such a day?"
227
00:10:55,196 --> 00:10:56,656
He said, "Let me check.
I'll get back to you."
228
00:10:56,697 --> 00:11:00,951
That happened a few times,
and I started thinking, hmm.
229
00:11:00,993 --> 00:11:02,745
I knew we were checking
with Nancy,
230
00:11:02,787 --> 00:11:06,666
but I didn't know we were
checking with an astrologer.
231
00:11:06,707 --> 00:11:08,292
Are you serious, Ms. Quigley?
232
00:11:08,334 --> 00:11:09,794
What do you mean,
am I serious?
233
00:11:09,835 --> 00:11:12,254
I mean, the wife of the
President of the United States
234
00:11:12,296 --> 00:11:14,340
would call Joan Quigley
235
00:11:14,382 --> 00:11:17,009
and would talk to her
for a couple of hours
236
00:11:17,051 --> 00:11:19,637
on the telephone.
-Yes.
237
00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:25,142
And would talk about what time
a treaty should be signed or--
238
00:11:25,184 --> 00:11:28,479
Yes, but I'm a very good
technical astrologer,
239
00:11:28,521 --> 00:11:30,189
and I know how...
240
00:11:30,231 --> 00:11:32,525
[Kelley] The Reagans dealt
with many astrologers
241
00:11:32,566 --> 00:11:37,154
for many years, but the most
famous became Joan Quigley.
242
00:11:37,196 --> 00:11:40,491
[Ruth Quigley] When Nancy
wanted a new astrologer,
243
00:11:40,533 --> 00:11:44,578
she called Merv Griffin 'cause
she and Merv were great pals.
244
00:11:44,620 --> 00:11:46,372
And he said, "Oh, well,
the one that always tells me
245
00:11:46,414 --> 00:11:48,499
the right things
is Joan Quigley."
246
00:11:52,253 --> 00:11:53,587
[Kelley] Nancy Reagan
relied on Joan Quigley.
247
00:11:53,629 --> 00:11:58,718
She would call her sometimes
eight times a day
248
00:11:58,759 --> 00:12:03,681
for almost everything,
down to unbelievable details,
249
00:12:03,723 --> 00:12:07,184
including the takeoff
and landings times
250
00:12:07,226 --> 00:12:10,479
for Air Force One.
251
00:12:10,521 --> 00:12:14,900
It was astrology
that charted their way.
252
00:12:14,942 --> 00:12:17,737
But nobody knew that
at the time.
253
00:12:20,406 --> 00:12:23,534
[Ruth] Joan timed
all of the press conferences,
254
00:12:23,576 --> 00:12:25,911
the State of the Unions.
255
00:12:25,953 --> 00:12:32,042
She defused so many
difficult situations for them.
256
00:12:32,084 --> 00:12:35,921
She would say, "Make no foreign
pronouncements on this day,"
257
00:12:35,963 --> 00:12:39,925
or when Ronald Reagan wanted
to arm twist a congressman,
258
00:12:39,967 --> 00:12:42,595
Joan could tell him
when to do it.
259
00:12:43,137 --> 00:12:45,431
[Spencer] People have always
asked me on that question
260
00:12:45,473 --> 00:12:48,267
of astrology and Nancy,
"What about the husband?"
261
00:12:48,309 --> 00:12:50,311
He and I had the conversation.
262
00:12:50,352 --> 00:12:52,772
That's her thing.
Leave her alone.
263
00:12:52,813 --> 00:12:54,148
[applause]
264
00:12:54,190 --> 00:12:57,151
[Tumulty] For her,
astrology was a crutch.
265
00:12:57,193 --> 00:13:00,863
Nancy did not have religion
to fall back on,
266
00:13:00,905 --> 00:13:04,617
and Ronald Reagan
had a very deep religious faith.
267
00:13:04,658 --> 00:13:10,289
He truly believed
that God had a plan for him.
268
00:13:10,331 --> 00:13:15,461
[cheers and applause]
269
00:13:16,337 --> 00:13:18,881
Religious America
is awakening
270
00:13:18,923 --> 00:13:21,967
perhaps just in time
for our country's sake.
271
00:13:22,009 --> 00:13:23,761
[applause]
272
00:13:23,803 --> 00:13:26,722
[Alter]
Reagan's religious background
273
00:13:26,764 --> 00:13:30,726
and conservative ideas
really resonated with a group
274
00:13:30,768 --> 00:13:34,605
of right-wing
evangelical Christians
275
00:13:34,647 --> 00:13:39,276
who decided to get more
heavily involved in politics,
276
00:13:39,318 --> 00:13:43,781
and Reagan saw that
as an opportunity.
277
00:13:43,823 --> 00:13:47,159
[Spencer] And Christian right,
then termed a Moral Majority,
278
00:13:47,201 --> 00:13:49,787
it was a very large voting bloc.
279
00:13:49,829 --> 00:13:54,291
And on a lot of the issues,
social issues particularly,
280
00:13:54,333 --> 00:13:57,711
we had an inside track.
281
00:13:57,753 --> 00:14:01,966
Reagan and I would go out to pay
our allegiances to Falwell.
282
00:14:02,007 --> 00:14:05,761
The reverend's thing
was Roe vs. Wade.
283
00:14:05,803 --> 00:14:08,597
When we left,
I said, "Mr. President,
284
00:14:08,639 --> 00:14:10,474
are you gonna give
serious thought
285
00:14:10,516 --> 00:14:13,686
to reversing Roe vs. Wade?"
286
00:14:13,727 --> 00:14:16,689
He turned to me with that
big Irish smile, and he says,
287
00:14:16,730 --> 00:14:18,858
"Stu, do I look insane?"
288
00:14:21,151 --> 00:14:23,195
Well, he got politically close,
289
00:14:23,237 --> 00:14:26,198
as close as we could
get away with,
290
00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,827
and we got a lot of money
out of 'em.
291
00:14:29,869 --> 00:14:32,371
[woman] Claiming to receive
$400,000 a week
292
00:14:32,413 --> 00:14:34,874
in contributions,
the Moral Majority movement
293
00:14:34,915 --> 00:14:37,710
believes that all of America's
problems are the byproduct
294
00:14:37,751 --> 00:14:42,548
of moral decadence and runaway
Democratic liberalism.
295
00:14:42,590 --> 00:14:44,258
[Ron Jr.]
To some extent, at least,
296
00:14:44,300 --> 00:14:46,427
my father did let the genie
out of the bottle
297
00:14:46,468 --> 00:14:48,053
with the link
between the Republican Party
298
00:14:48,095 --> 00:14:49,513
and the evangelical right--
299
00:14:49,555 --> 00:14:51,891
the unholy alliance
that we see now.
300
00:14:53,726 --> 00:14:57,104
[Shearer] Ronald Reagan
didn't go to church a lot,
301
00:14:57,146 --> 00:14:59,481
and for him to then embrace
the Moral Majority, I think,
302
00:14:59,523 --> 00:15:03,360
was pure political opportunism,
which he did well.
303
00:15:03,402 --> 00:15:05,029
[man] What's happened?
304
00:15:05,070 --> 00:15:06,363
Twenty million Americans
have herpes,
305
00:15:06,405 --> 00:15:09,158
incurable venereal disease.
306
00:15:09,199 --> 00:15:10,492
Many more have AIDS,
307
00:15:10,534 --> 00:15:13,621
incurable
and in most cases fatal.
308
00:15:13,662 --> 00:15:17,541
God was angered,
and God has judged a society.
309
00:15:17,583 --> 00:15:22,755
suspenseful music plays
310
00:15:40,481 --> 00:15:41,523
What?
311
00:15:50,824 --> 00:15:51,951
[laughter]
312
00:16:15,516 --> 00:16:18,477
There was
a lot of willful blindness
313
00:16:18,519 --> 00:16:21,480
to--to what was happening
all around them.
314
00:16:23,524 --> 00:16:25,776
[Ron Jr.] I don't mean
to be making excuses for him
315
00:16:25,818 --> 00:16:29,989
because it's not defensible,
but when he took office,
316
00:16:30,030 --> 00:16:31,782
there was no such thing as AIDS.
317
00:16:31,824 --> 00:16:34,076
It existed, obviously,
but nobody knew what it was.
318
00:16:34,118 --> 00:16:36,161
There was this mysterious
illness that seemed
319
00:16:36,203 --> 00:16:39,081
to be affecting mostly gay men
and IV drug users.
320
00:16:39,123 --> 00:16:42,376
Not big Republican,
you know, constituents.
321
00:16:43,836 --> 00:16:46,630
They had gay friends,
but he probably
322
00:16:46,672 --> 00:16:49,425
would have put them
in a different category.
323
00:16:49,466 --> 00:16:51,552
You know,
not our kind of gay people.
324
00:16:53,053 --> 00:16:56,849
[Kelley] It is hypocritical
because with Nancy,
325
00:16:56,890 --> 00:16:58,851
everybody around her
326
00:16:58,892 --> 00:17:00,477
that helped her,
327
00:17:00,519 --> 00:17:04,148
and made her look good
and feel good was gay.
328
00:17:04,189 --> 00:17:07,526
But because the politics
of the time,
329
00:17:07,568 --> 00:17:09,528
she kept that façade.
330
00:17:11,697 --> 00:17:15,534
[Shearer] When he came
to Yale University in 1967,
331
00:17:15,576 --> 00:17:17,745
end of the first year
as governor,
332
00:17:17,786 --> 00:17:21,415
I asked Reagan
whether he thought homosexuals
333
00:17:21,457 --> 00:17:24,501
had the right
to serve in government.
334
00:17:24,543 --> 00:17:26,754
Well, I think we're getting
into an area now
335
00:17:26,795 --> 00:17:31,383
where we can debate, uh,
what is an illness
336
00:17:31,425 --> 00:17:32,801
or whether it is an illness
or not.
337
00:17:32,843 --> 00:17:34,553
I happen to subscribe
to the belief
338
00:17:34,595 --> 00:17:36,555
that it is a tragic illness.
339
00:17:36,597 --> 00:17:38,724
[Shearer] And then
he kind of thought and he said,
340
00:17:38,766 --> 00:17:40,893
"And it should be illegal."
341
00:17:40,934 --> 00:17:43,353
[man] I would like to ask you
if you also think
342
00:17:43,395 --> 00:17:45,064
that certain
other tragic illnesses
343
00:17:45,105 --> 00:17:48,233
like tuberculosis,
cancer, mental illness,
344
00:17:48,275 --> 00:17:51,528
and heart disease should
also be considered illegal?
345
00:17:54,740 --> 00:17:58,160
We recognize this as a form
of illness and neurosis.
346
00:17:58,202 --> 00:17:59,787
As a result of that illness,
347
00:17:59,828 --> 00:18:01,789
they are not content
to simply suffer
348
00:18:01,830 --> 00:18:05,417
the illness themselves
but they seek to get others
349
00:18:05,459 --> 00:18:07,711
who'll catch the ailment.
350
00:18:07,753 --> 00:18:10,547
And from that standpoint, yes,
I believe that we have right
351
00:18:10,589 --> 00:18:13,467
to a protection
with regard to the practice
352
00:18:13,509 --> 00:18:16,637
that follows such an illness.
353
00:18:20,182 --> 00:18:24,311
People knew very little
about homosexuality.
354
00:18:24,353 --> 00:18:26,438
In the summer of 1981
355
00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:28,565
when the first cases
were identified,
356
00:18:28,607 --> 00:18:31,443
we were seen
as an inherent danger.
357
00:18:31,485 --> 00:18:34,446
This was the transition
from homosexuality
358
00:18:34,488 --> 00:18:37,366
being on a list
of biblical vices
359
00:18:37,407 --> 00:18:39,618
to being a person
you need to be afraid of,
360
00:18:39,660 --> 00:18:41,787
a person who is
an inherent threat to society,
361
00:18:41,829 --> 00:18:43,580
to your family.
362
00:18:43,622 --> 00:18:46,041
It felt like there was
a bull's eye on our back.
363
00:18:46,083 --> 00:18:49,586
It really felt like
we were targeted.
364
00:18:49,628 --> 00:18:51,547
[man] What is your response
to those who say
365
00:18:51,588 --> 00:18:55,050
that only a small, unsavory
group of people is affected by
it?
366
00:18:55,092 --> 00:18:57,803
To say that only a small
unsavory group of people
367
00:18:57,845 --> 00:19:00,013
are affected
with it is really...
368
00:19:00,055 --> 00:19:03,267
is outlandish
because we know that the virus
369
00:19:03,308 --> 00:19:06,979
can and is infecting a variety
of people in the population.
370
00:19:07,020 --> 00:19:09,690
And to say because someone
has a particular lifestyle
371
00:19:09,731 --> 00:19:12,234
that they're unsavory,
I think is objectionable.
372
00:19:12,276 --> 00:19:15,612
It just seemed that Reagan
373
00:19:15,654 --> 00:19:18,031
was being fed or accepting
374
00:19:18,073 --> 00:19:20,868
that this was a bad thing
375
00:19:20,909 --> 00:19:25,622
because of the people involved
and not because of the virus.
376
00:19:27,249 --> 00:19:29,793
I was very frustrated.
377
00:19:29,835 --> 00:19:33,630
We're seeing
an emerging catastrophe,
378
00:19:33,672 --> 00:19:35,841
and he wanted
nothing to do with it.
379
00:19:39,011 --> 00:19:41,180
[Alter]
It was a political calculation
380
00:19:41,221 --> 00:19:45,184
that his evangelical base
did not want him to deviate
381
00:19:45,225 --> 00:19:47,269
from their premise which is that
382
00:19:47,311 --> 00:19:49,521
AIDS was God's revenge.
383
00:19:49,563 --> 00:19:51,190
You ever get
the feeling sometimes
384
00:19:51,231 --> 00:19:54,443
that if we let this be
another Sodom and Gomorrah,
385
00:19:54,484 --> 00:19:57,779
that maybe we might be
the generation
386
00:19:57,821 --> 00:19:59,531
that sees Armageddon?
- Yes.
387
00:20:02,659 --> 00:20:05,537
Reagan believed
that he was President
388
00:20:05,579 --> 00:20:08,665
because he was called
to be President.
389
00:20:08,707 --> 00:20:13,629
He saw himself as placed
at that time in history
390
00:20:13,670 --> 00:20:17,382
to move the world away
from Armageddon.
391
00:20:17,424 --> 00:20:19,718
[indistinct chatter]
392
00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:23,597
[Adelman] This notion of
Armageddon scared the dickens
out of him.
393
00:20:23,639 --> 00:20:25,766
So whenever the president
talked about Armageddon,
394
00:20:25,807 --> 00:20:27,726
basically
we would just slough it off
395
00:20:27,768 --> 00:20:30,229
or, you know, not answer it.
396
00:20:30,270 --> 00:20:32,105
What do you do about Armageddon?
397
00:20:32,147 --> 00:20:34,066
[projector whirring]
398
00:20:34,107 --> 00:20:36,401
[Alter]
From Goldwater in 1964
399
00:20:36,443 --> 00:20:41,823
through the 1980 campaign,
he was a hawk's hawk.
400
00:20:45,285 --> 00:20:46,912
[explosion ]
401
00:20:46,954 --> 00:20:51,208
[Alter] But then a movie
changed his mind.
402
00:20:52,793 --> 00:20:54,002
[Adelman]
It was Reagan's viewing
403
00:20:54,044 --> 00:20:56,672
of The Day After--
made him anti-nuclear.
404
00:20:56,713 --> 00:21:00,425
He had an image of that
in his mind--
405
00:21:00,467 --> 00:21:03,595
that's what the world's
gonna look like if we fail.
406
00:21:05,138 --> 00:21:08,225
That was a massive shift
in his political position.
407
00:21:09,559 --> 00:21:11,561
[Ronald] My fellow Americans,
408
00:21:11,603 --> 00:21:14,773
let me share with you a vision
of the future which offers hope.
409
00:21:14,815 --> 00:21:17,025
It is that we embark
on a program to counter
410
00:21:17,067 --> 00:21:19,444
the awesome
Soviet missile threat
411
00:21:19,486 --> 00:21:21,780
with measures
that are defensive.
412
00:21:21,822 --> 00:21:23,907
-Well, what is it?
-The inertia projector.
413
00:21:23,949 --> 00:21:25,659
It's a device
for throwing electrical waves
414
00:21:25,701 --> 00:21:27,119
capable of paralyzing alternate
415
00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,329
and direct currents
at their source.
416
00:21:29,371 --> 00:21:30,956
All right, Hayden.
417
00:21:30,998 --> 00:21:33,458
Focus that inertia projector
on 'em and let 'em have it.
418
00:21:33,500 --> 00:21:34,960
[engine droning]
419
00:21:35,002 --> 00:21:37,087
[man] By any name,
Star Wars or SDI,
420
00:21:37,129 --> 00:21:39,172
it is an anti-missile system
which already carries
421
00:21:39,214 --> 00:21:41,967
a $26 billion development
price tag.
422
00:21:42,009 --> 00:21:44,136
It is not proven,
may not be feasible,
423
00:21:44,177 --> 00:21:46,847
and Congress has yet to agree
to pay for it.
424
00:21:46,888 --> 00:21:49,141
[man] Mr. President,
would this not create,
425
00:21:49,182 --> 00:21:52,019
instead of an offensive arms
race, a defensive arms race?
426
00:21:52,060 --> 00:21:55,689
Well, would that be all bad?
Uh...
427
00:21:55,731 --> 00:21:58,692
If you've got everybody
building defense,
428
00:21:58,734 --> 00:22:01,653
uh, then nobody's
gonna start a war.
429
00:22:01,695 --> 00:22:04,948
And, uh, that's maybe part
of the idea.
430
00:22:04,990 --> 00:22:06,992
[Scheer] It was based
on a movie that he was in
431
00:22:07,034 --> 00:22:10,954
with a laser beamed apparatus.
432
00:22:10,996 --> 00:22:13,290
It never was gonna happen.
433
00:22:13,332 --> 00:22:15,167
It's a cockamamie idea
434
00:22:15,208 --> 00:22:17,419
that was a fantasy
from beginning.
435
00:22:17,461 --> 00:22:18,503
[rings]
436
00:22:18,545 --> 00:22:24,301
dramatic music plays
437
00:22:27,804 --> 00:22:29,181
[cheers and applause]
438
00:22:29,222 --> 00:22:31,850
[McFarlane]
Ronald Reagan carried a belief
439
00:22:31,892 --> 00:22:34,853
that the other side
ought to know
440
00:22:34,895 --> 00:22:37,147
that they're not dealing
with a patsy here.
441
00:22:37,189 --> 00:22:40,817
He was conveying
a moral judgment about
442
00:22:40,859 --> 00:22:43,695
what he thought
about the Soviet Union.
443
00:22:43,737 --> 00:22:47,157
He really felt
that this was an evil empire.
444
00:22:52,913 --> 00:22:55,332
[woman] Soviet television
had the announcement
445
00:22:55,374 --> 00:22:56,917
this morning
that President Andropov
446
00:22:56,958 --> 00:22:59,086
had died after a long illness.
447
00:22:59,127 --> 00:23:01,463
Today we've learned of the death
of the head of state,
448
00:23:01,505 --> 00:23:04,383
Konstantin Chernenko,
449
00:23:04,424 --> 00:23:05,550
and I've sent my condolences...
450
00:23:05,592 --> 00:23:10,847
to the Soviet leadership
and people
451
00:23:10,889 --> 00:23:13,141
[Shearer]
For the first five years,
452
00:23:13,183 --> 00:23:16,812
Reagan didn't directly deal
with the Communists.
453
00:23:16,853 --> 00:23:19,022
Reagan's interaction
with the Russians changed
454
00:23:19,064 --> 00:23:21,733
because the Russians changed.
455
00:23:21,775 --> 00:23:25,070
Gorbachev was a younger,
more modern guy.
456
00:23:25,112 --> 00:23:28,365
And so Gorbachev reached out,
457
00:23:28,407 --> 00:23:31,743
and Reagan did respond.
458
00:23:32,869 --> 00:23:34,246
[Spencer]
He was willing to deal,
459
00:23:34,287 --> 00:23:36,081
make the deals
that had to be made
460
00:23:36,123 --> 00:23:38,917
as long as our country
wasn't hurt.
461
00:23:40,252 --> 00:23:42,087
And he lucked out.
462
00:23:42,129 --> 00:23:46,258
Gorbachev came along,
who had the same frame of mind.
463
00:23:46,299 --> 00:23:49,261
[woman] In Warsaw today,
Soviet leader Gorbachev,
464
00:23:49,302 --> 00:23:51,930
said he sent a personal letter
to President Reagan,
465
00:23:51,972 --> 00:23:54,224
a letter which could lead
to a summit.
466
00:23:54,266 --> 00:23:56,268
It's, uh, different than things
467
00:23:56,309 --> 00:23:58,770
that we've heard in the past
leaders in the Soviet Union.
468
00:23:58,812 --> 00:24:00,230
-[man] How is that?
-[man] Thank you.
469
00:24:00,272 --> 00:24:02,065
That's enough.
470
00:24:02,107 --> 00:24:04,234
Well, it's just about
the first time that anyone
471
00:24:04,276 --> 00:24:08,905
has ever proposed to actually
eliminating nuclear weapons.
472
00:24:08,947 --> 00:24:13,118
To Reagan's credit,
with the help of his wife,
473
00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,537
when Gorbachev came
on the scene,
474
00:24:16,455 --> 00:24:19,124
he realized that
he could change course,
475
00:24:19,166 --> 00:24:22,377
shed that old image
of the Cold War era,
476
00:24:22,419 --> 00:24:26,631
and take advantage
of this historic opportunity.
477
00:24:27,174 --> 00:24:29,551
[Joan Quigley] I talked to Nancy
for two or three hours,
478
00:24:29,593 --> 00:24:33,305
convincing her that Gorbachev
was a kind of man
479
00:24:33,346 --> 00:24:36,808
that was not only tough
but intelligent,
480
00:24:36,850 --> 00:24:39,394
open to new ideas,
and that he had vision
481
00:24:39,436 --> 00:24:40,812
like Ronald Reagan did,
482
00:24:40,854 --> 00:24:43,106
and that these two men
483
00:24:43,148 --> 00:24:45,734
have a fantastic chemistry
between them.
484
00:24:46,234 --> 00:24:48,487
[Ruth Quigley] When
Nancy called Joan, she said,
485
00:24:48,528 --> 00:24:51,531
"Gorbachev, from his chart,
was an intellectual,
486
00:24:51,573 --> 00:24:54,493
and he was a man
that loved ideas
487
00:24:54,534 --> 00:24:57,287
and could be influenced."
488
00:24:57,329 --> 00:25:00,624
Gorbachev had gotten
to where he was
489
00:25:00,665 --> 00:25:02,918
through the assistance
of older men.
490
00:25:02,959 --> 00:25:06,838
And Ronnie was 20 years older
than Gorbachev,
491
00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:08,757
so there would be that sort of
492
00:25:08,798 --> 00:25:11,551
subconscious respect
for someone older.
493
00:25:11,593 --> 00:25:15,096
I also affected
definitely the relationship
494
00:25:15,138 --> 00:25:17,682
between the superpowers
because of my reading
495
00:25:17,724 --> 00:25:20,602
of Gorbachev's horoscope.
496
00:25:20,644 --> 00:25:24,981
And I...the minute I read it,
I knew that I had to change
497
00:25:25,023 --> 00:25:27,442
the evil empire attitude
before he...
498
00:25:27,484 --> 00:25:30,362
they had their first summit,
and I went about that.
499
00:25:30,403 --> 00:25:33,698
[Ruth Quigley]
Joan convinced Nancy that
500
00:25:33,740 --> 00:25:36,993
if Ronnie kept an open-mind,
using his super salesmanship
501
00:25:37,035 --> 00:25:39,329
on Gorbachev, it would work.
502
00:25:39,371 --> 00:25:42,666
[Kelley]
In a sense, it was harmless.
503
00:25:42,707 --> 00:25:44,376
On the other hand,
504
00:25:44,417 --> 00:25:50,006
this is the man who has his hand
on a nuclear button,
505
00:25:50,048 --> 00:25:52,092
and his actions
506
00:25:52,133 --> 00:25:55,387
are being dictated
by astrologers.
507
00:25:56,972 --> 00:25:58,723
[Ronald]
We have serious problems
508
00:25:58,765 --> 00:26:01,059
with the Soviet positions
on a great many issues,
509
00:26:01,101 --> 00:26:04,062
and success is not guaranteed.
510
00:26:04,104 --> 00:26:06,523
But if Mr. Gorbachev
comes to Iceland
511
00:26:06,565 --> 00:26:08,650
in a truly cooperative spirit,
512
00:26:08,692 --> 00:26:10,527
I think we can make
some progress.
513
00:26:11,570 --> 00:26:13,029
That's my goal.
514
00:26:13,071 --> 00:26:14,906
That's my purpose
in going to Iceland.
515
00:26:21,454 --> 00:26:25,542
[Adelman] After the first
morning of the Reykjavik Summit,
516
00:26:25,584 --> 00:26:27,919
we were summoned into the room
within a room
517
00:26:27,961 --> 00:26:29,337
in the U.S. Embassy.
518
00:26:29,379 --> 00:26:33,758
It had a kind of
vault-like entrance,
519
00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:36,553
and so it was absolutely secure.
520
00:26:36,595 --> 00:26:37,887
Reagan start to tell us
that Gorbachev
521
00:26:37,929 --> 00:26:41,266
really wants to do this.
522
00:26:41,308 --> 00:26:43,059
And Reagan, from his memory,
523
00:26:43,101 --> 00:26:46,104
gives us some numbers
that are in his head.
524
00:26:46,146 --> 00:26:47,772
After about five minutes
525
00:26:47,814 --> 00:26:50,942
of absolute agony
of groping around,
526
00:26:50,984 --> 00:26:52,944
he goes into his suit pocket
527
00:26:52,986 --> 00:26:54,738
and he takes out
a piece of paper, he said,
528
00:26:54,779 --> 00:26:56,781
"Oh, Gorbachev handed me this."
529
00:26:56,823 --> 00:26:58,783
So we all dived
for the paper and we found out,
530
00:26:58,825 --> 00:27:02,871
holy cow, this guy really wants
to use this weekend
531
00:27:02,912 --> 00:27:04,956
to get something done
in arms control.
532
00:27:08,251 --> 00:27:10,587
Gorbachev says,
"Yes, we made great progress,
533
00:27:10,629 --> 00:27:14,966
but you know what?
It's all tied to canning SDI."
534
00:27:17,177 --> 00:27:19,095
[Shultz]
President Reagan rejected that.
535
00:27:19,137 --> 00:27:20,972
This man has strong opinions
536
00:27:21,014 --> 00:27:24,351
but he understands
why he has the opinion.
537
00:27:24,392 --> 00:27:28,980
So that means he's gonna stick
to something that he decides on.
538
00:27:30,690 --> 00:27:33,234
[Adelman] Reagan told us
that he had made a pledge
539
00:27:33,276 --> 00:27:35,904
to the American people
to see SDI through.
540
00:27:35,945 --> 00:27:37,280
None of us
had ever heard the pledge.
541
00:27:37,322 --> 00:27:39,157
That was the first time...
542
00:27:39,199 --> 00:27:41,159
but you know,
it was a part of his imagination
543
00:27:41,201 --> 00:27:43,828
that he must have done it
or should have done it,
544
00:27:43,870 --> 00:27:45,664
and that he wasn't
gonna give it up.
545
00:27:48,208 --> 00:27:50,835
[man] Do you think he missed
an opportunity back then?
546
00:27:50,877 --> 00:27:52,754
Yes. I think he did,
547
00:27:52,796 --> 00:27:56,341
'cause in retrospect we know
that SDI doesn't work, you know?
548
00:27:56,383 --> 00:27:59,511
So he wouldn't have been
giving up anything actually.
549
00:27:59,552 --> 00:28:01,596
I think, you know,
we could be living in a world
550
00:28:01,638 --> 00:28:04,974
with many fewer nuclear weapons
right now
551
00:28:05,016 --> 00:28:08,186
if he just had, you know,
given in on that.
552
00:28:08,228 --> 00:28:10,021
But he thought he was...
553
00:28:10,063 --> 00:28:11,981
he thought Gorbachev
is trying to hustle him.
554
00:28:13,108 --> 00:28:15,151
[man] After three hours
and 42 minutes
555
00:28:15,193 --> 00:28:17,237
of that last meeting,
disappointment.
556
00:28:17,278 --> 00:28:19,656
Ronald Reagan,
his jaw set grimly,
557
00:28:19,698 --> 00:28:22,701
and an unsmiling
Mikhail Gorbachev walked out,
558
00:28:22,742 --> 00:28:24,119
telegraphing failure.
559
00:28:27,122 --> 00:28:28,373
[Shultz] So in the end...
560
00:28:30,667 --> 00:28:33,211
...we are deeply disappointed...
561
00:28:34,754 --> 00:28:36,965
...at this outcome.
562
00:28:39,092 --> 00:28:44,973
[Ruth Quigley] In January 1986,
Ronald Reagan was really moving
563
00:28:45,014 --> 00:28:47,892
into a very bad period,
astrologically.
564
00:28:47,934 --> 00:28:49,394
When Nancy called Joan,
565
00:28:49,436 --> 00:28:51,813
she could see
the horrible aspects gathering
566
00:28:51,855 --> 00:28:55,233
for poor Ronald Reagan,
567
00:28:55,275 --> 00:28:58,319
and Joan had to do
what she could to minimize it.
568
00:28:58,361 --> 00:29:01,906
So she didn't let him
have press conferences
569
00:29:01,948 --> 00:29:04,617
because those could have
assassinated him
570
00:29:04,659 --> 00:29:06,703
in a different way.
571
00:29:06,745 --> 00:29:09,581
Ronald Reagan held fewer
572
00:29:09,622 --> 00:29:14,252
than one press conference
every other month.
573
00:29:15,837 --> 00:29:20,133
That's not accountability.
574
00:29:20,175 --> 00:29:23,636
That is hiding from the press.
575
00:29:23,678 --> 00:29:25,764
[Tom Brokaw] It is taking shape
as one of the most
576
00:29:25,805 --> 00:29:27,682
controversial
foreign policy developments
577
00:29:27,724 --> 00:29:29,768
of President Reagan's years
in office.
578
00:29:29,809 --> 00:29:32,228
The reports of
a secret White House operation
579
00:29:32,270 --> 00:29:34,856
to ship Iran military supplies
580
00:29:34,898 --> 00:29:38,109
in exchange for help in freeing
three American hostages.
581
00:29:38,151 --> 00:29:39,944
[man] Mr. President,
do we have a deal going
582
00:29:39,986 --> 00:29:43,031
with Iran of some--
of some sort?
583
00:29:43,072 --> 00:29:43,740
- [man chuckles]
[camera shutter clicking]
584
00:29:43,782 --> 00:29:45,200
No comment.
585
00:29:45,241 --> 00:29:47,452
[man] Mr. President,
the Iranians are saying
586
00:29:47,494 --> 00:29:49,287
that if you'll release
some of those weapons,
587
00:29:49,329 --> 00:29:51,623
they'll intercede to free
the rest of the hostages.
588
00:29:51,664 --> 00:29:53,124
Will you?
589
00:29:53,166 --> 00:29:55,460
Good evening. President Reagan
is about to hold
590
00:29:55,502 --> 00:29:57,629
his first formal news conference
since August.
591
00:29:57,670 --> 00:29:59,964
Mr. Reagan holds these sessions
so infrequently
592
00:30:00,006 --> 00:30:01,591
that when he does,
just the fact
593
00:30:01,633 --> 00:30:03,718
he's meeting with reporters
becomes news.
594
00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:04,928
But with all the controversy
595
00:30:04,969 --> 00:30:07,138
swirling about
secret arms deals,
596
00:30:07,180 --> 00:30:10,809
this one promises
more newsworthy than usual.
597
00:30:10,850 --> 00:30:15,104
I have a few words here
before I take your questions.
598
00:30:15,146 --> 00:30:16,815
Just some brief remarks.
599
00:30:19,192 --> 00:30:22,320
18 months ago,
as I said last Thursday,
600
00:30:22,362 --> 00:30:24,531
this administration began
a secret initiative
601
00:30:24,572 --> 00:30:27,659
to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
602
00:30:27,700 --> 00:30:29,786
However,
to eliminate the widespread
603
00:30:29,828 --> 00:30:31,663
but mistaken perception
604
00:30:31,704 --> 00:30:34,499
that we have been exchanging
arms for hostages,
605
00:30:34,541 --> 00:30:37,335
I have directed
that no further sales of arms
606
00:30:37,377 --> 00:30:40,338
of any kind be sent to Iran.
I further...
607
00:30:40,380 --> 00:30:42,674
[Rollins] It all started
with the hostages.
608
00:30:42,715 --> 00:30:44,843
And the first rule is
you never let the president
609
00:30:44,884 --> 00:30:48,513
be talked to by the families
of the hostages.
610
00:30:48,555 --> 00:30:51,015
Don Regan got tired
of listening to the sister
611
00:30:51,057 --> 00:30:53,184
of one of the hostages.
612
00:30:53,226 --> 00:30:55,436
And finally one day, he just put
him through to Reagan.
613
00:30:55,478 --> 00:30:58,189
It became not about
the big picture.
614
00:30:58,231 --> 00:31:00,608
It became the picture of what
would take to get them home.
615
00:31:00,650 --> 00:31:03,027
And now I'll take
your questions. Helen?
616
00:31:03,069 --> 00:31:05,196
Mr. President,
in the recent past,
617
00:31:05,238 --> 00:31:07,991
there was an administration
whose byword was
618
00:31:08,032 --> 00:31:10,159
"Watch what we do,
not what we say."
619
00:31:10,201 --> 00:31:12,036
How would you assess
the credibility...
620
00:31:12,078 --> 00:31:15,874
[McFarlane] The President had
empathy for the hostages
621
00:31:15,915 --> 00:31:17,876
to a fault.
622
00:31:17,917 --> 00:31:23,089
I briefed the President
along with the risks.
623
00:31:23,131 --> 00:31:24,716
And before long,
624
00:31:24,757 --> 00:31:27,051
to show evidence
of our good faith,
625
00:31:27,093 --> 00:31:30,221
was the transfer of weapons.
626
00:31:30,263 --> 00:31:32,348
Mr. President,
you have stated flatly,
627
00:31:32,390 --> 00:31:34,017
and you've stated flatly again
tonight
628
00:31:34,058 --> 00:31:37,103
that you did not trade weapons
for hostages,
629
00:31:37,145 --> 00:31:39,063
and yet the record shows
630
00:31:39,105 --> 00:31:41,941
that every time an American
hostage was released,
631
00:31:41,983 --> 00:31:45,069
there had been a major shipment
of arms just before that.
632
00:31:45,111 --> 00:31:48,281
Are we all to believe
that was just a coincidence?
633
00:31:48,323 --> 00:31:51,576
Chris, the only thing I know
about major shipments of arms...
634
00:31:51,618 --> 00:31:52,577
[Ron Jr.] I came back
to the White House,
635
00:31:52,619 --> 00:31:55,288
and I was very blunt with him.
636
00:31:55,330 --> 00:31:57,290
"What are you talking about?
637
00:31:57,332 --> 00:31:59,459
You need to admit
what has on here."
638
00:31:59,500 --> 00:32:02,545
But he had convinced himself
639
00:32:02,587 --> 00:32:05,089
this wasn't really
an arms for hostage deal.
640
00:32:05,131 --> 00:32:07,091
That he was simply
making an overture
641
00:32:07,133 --> 00:32:09,594
to more moderate Iranians,
642
00:32:09,636 --> 00:32:12,597
and that a side benefit of that
643
00:32:12,639 --> 00:32:14,432
would be the freeing
of the hostages.
644
00:32:14,474 --> 00:32:17,518
But you wanted to say to him,
645
00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:22,106
"You're not saying things
that jive with reality here."
646
00:32:22,148 --> 00:32:23,775
Sir, if I may, the polls show
647
00:32:23,816 --> 00:32:26,694
that your credibility
has been severely damaged.
648
00:32:26,736 --> 00:32:28,446
Can you repair it?
649
00:32:28,488 --> 00:32:30,406
What does it mean
for the rest of your presidency?
650
00:32:30,448 --> 00:32:31,950
Well, I imagine
I'm the only one around
651
00:32:31,991 --> 00:32:34,285
who wants to repair it,
and I didn't do--
652
00:32:34,327 --> 00:32:37,121
have anything to do with this--
damaging it.
653
00:32:37,163 --> 00:32:41,125
[Tumulty] After Reagan comes out
in this press conference,
654
00:32:41,167 --> 00:32:44,504
the poll numbers plummet.
655
00:32:44,545 --> 00:32:47,757
It's a real key turning point.
656
00:32:48,883 --> 00:32:51,302
For the first time ever,
657
00:32:51,344 --> 00:32:54,013
the American people
do not believe
658
00:32:54,055 --> 00:32:57,016
that Ronald Reagan
is being straight with them.
659
00:32:57,058 --> 00:32:59,268
dramatic music plays
660
00:32:59,310 --> 00:33:01,980
Republicans and Democrats alike
are calling it a crisis,
661
00:33:02,021 --> 00:33:04,649
some call it a scandal,
others a tragedy.
662
00:33:04,691 --> 00:33:06,609
Today's startling revelation
663
00:33:06,651 --> 00:33:09,153
that up to $30 million dollars
664
00:33:09,195 --> 00:33:11,739
from the secret arms deal
with Iran
665
00:33:11,781 --> 00:33:14,158
ended up in the hands
of anti-government forces
666
00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:15,451
in Nicaragua, the Contras.
667
00:33:18,287 --> 00:33:22,291
[McFarlane] Covert activities
are difficult enough to maintain
668
00:33:22,333 --> 00:33:25,503
the operational security
of one of them,
669
00:33:25,545 --> 00:33:27,422
and you certainly
don't want to mix
670
00:33:27,463 --> 00:33:31,509
two separate covert operations
together.
671
00:33:32,677 --> 00:33:35,346
[James] [laughs]
They broke the law, okay?
672
00:33:35,388 --> 00:33:37,557
They violated
the Boland Amendment.
673
00:33:38,725 --> 00:33:40,685
I know this is
very self-serving,
674
00:33:40,727 --> 00:33:42,895
I don't think it would
have happened if I were there.
675
00:33:42,937 --> 00:33:44,897
There is a growing
public perception
676
00:33:44,939 --> 00:33:47,400
that something is very wrong
in the White House
677
00:33:47,442 --> 00:33:49,485
when it comes to foreign policy.
678
00:33:49,527 --> 00:33:51,195
A president who says
he knew nothing
679
00:33:51,237 --> 00:33:53,072
of the first arm shipments
to Iran
680
00:33:53,114 --> 00:33:55,992
until after the fact,
and perhaps most important,
681
00:33:56,034 --> 00:33:58,870
serious questions
about who is running
682
00:33:58,911 --> 00:34:01,372
the foreign policy
of the United States.
683
00:34:01,414 --> 00:34:03,583
We are told that
three military men
684
00:34:03,624 --> 00:34:06,252
used to carrying out orders
from their superiors
685
00:34:06,294 --> 00:34:08,046
failed to tell
the commander-in-chief
686
00:34:08,087 --> 00:34:09,547
what they were up to.
687
00:34:09,589 --> 00:34:12,216
NSC Advisor
Admiral John Poindexter,
688
00:34:12,258 --> 00:34:13,718
Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North,
689
00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:16,179
and former
National Security Advisor
690
00:34:16,220 --> 00:34:18,723
Colonel Robert McFarlane.
691
00:34:18,765 --> 00:34:24,395
I don't intend this to be
somehow in justification,
692
00:34:24,437 --> 00:34:26,898
but I knew that
if I had stayed around,
693
00:34:26,939 --> 00:34:30,234
if I had intervened
emphatically,
694
00:34:30,276 --> 00:34:32,528
I could have prevented this,
I think.
695
00:34:32,570 --> 00:34:34,697
[man] So far,
Colonel North's testimony
696
00:34:34,739 --> 00:34:37,075
means trouble for
the White House in two ways--
697
00:34:37,116 --> 00:34:40,161
his image as
a one-man band overachiever
698
00:34:40,203 --> 00:34:42,038
was useful for the White House
699
00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:44,290
because it meant he wasn't part
of the organization.
700
00:34:44,332 --> 00:34:46,542
Today, he dispelled the image
701
00:34:46,584 --> 00:34:48,920
of an out-of-control
lieutenant colonel,
702
00:34:48,961 --> 00:34:51,089
and he said he assumed
the president knew a lot
703
00:34:51,130 --> 00:34:52,298
about what was going on.
704
00:34:52,340 --> 00:34:54,092
That doesn't help Mr. Reagan.
705
00:34:54,133 --> 00:34:55,885
He was being put in
this terrible position
706
00:34:55,927 --> 00:34:57,762
and had put himself
in this--in this, uh,
707
00:34:57,804 --> 00:34:59,931
in this terrible position,
708
00:34:59,972 --> 00:35:05,812
that Poindexter and company
had been going behind his back.
709
00:35:05,853 --> 00:35:07,396
[Tumulty] Nancy Reagan
begins to realize
710
00:35:07,438 --> 00:35:10,858
that impeachment
is a real possibility here.
711
00:35:10,900 --> 00:35:16,572
She is singlehandedly
organizing the rescue effort.
712
00:35:16,614 --> 00:35:21,786
She decides that Don Regan
has got to go.
713
00:35:22,662 --> 00:35:25,123
[Rollins]
And she made it happen.
714
00:35:25,164 --> 00:35:27,583
She took him out at the knees.
715
00:35:27,625 --> 00:35:29,293
Chris, what's the latest
on the strain
716
00:35:29,335 --> 00:35:30,962
reported between Mrs. Reagan
717
00:35:31,003 --> 00:35:32,964
and White House Chief of Staff
Donald Regan?
718
00:35:33,005 --> 00:35:35,383
Well, Tom, a source
very close to Mrs. Reagan
719
00:35:35,424 --> 00:35:37,718
told me today
that she purposely--
720
00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:39,595
Mrs. Reagan purposely
leaked the story
721
00:35:39,637 --> 00:35:41,639
that she's no longer talking
to Donald Regan,
722
00:35:41,681 --> 00:35:44,142
to try to force Donald Regan
out of the White House.
723
00:35:52,358 --> 00:35:53,943
I think this is one
724
00:35:53,985 --> 00:35:56,821
that has been bandied about
in the press.
725
00:35:56,863 --> 00:35:58,322
That is fiction,
726
00:35:58,364 --> 00:36:00,366
and I think it is
despicable fiction.
727
00:36:00,408 --> 00:36:02,785
And a lot of people ought
to be ashamed of themselves.
728
00:36:02,827 --> 00:36:04,537
But the idea that she's involved
729
00:36:04,579 --> 00:36:06,998
in governmental decisions
and so forth
730
00:36:07,039 --> 00:36:09,667
in all of this and...
731
00:36:11,544 --> 00:36:13,462
being kind of a dragon lady,
732
00:36:13,504 --> 00:36:14,922
there is nothing to that and no
one who knows her well...
733
00:36:14,964 --> 00:36:16,299
[Thomas]
Well, you know who said it.
734
00:36:16,340 --> 00:36:17,717
...would ever believe it.
735
00:36:17,758 --> 00:36:20,052
[Thomas] You know who said
"Dragon lady"?
736
00:36:20,094 --> 00:36:22,513
Your Chief of Staff.
737
00:36:22,555 --> 00:36:24,140
[Regan] No, no, Helen,
I didn't say that.
738
00:36:24,182 --> 00:36:26,976
[laughter]
739
00:36:27,018 --> 00:36:30,354
[Stahl] I came to believe
that in the second term,
740
00:36:30,396 --> 00:36:33,858
Nancy Reagan was taking
the reins behind the scenes,
741
00:36:33,900 --> 00:36:38,029
and directing
more and more policy.
742
00:36:38,070 --> 00:36:40,364
And I also saw
743
00:36:40,406 --> 00:36:43,534
the president would dip in
and out of attention.
744
00:36:44,660 --> 00:36:46,537
I met with the president
745
00:36:46,579 --> 00:36:47,997
and he's just standing there,
746
00:36:48,039 --> 00:36:50,708
not paying any attention
at all.
747
00:36:50,750 --> 00:36:52,793
And he could hardly talk.
748
00:36:52,835 --> 00:36:55,546
And I thought, "What's going on
with the president?"
749
00:36:55,588 --> 00:36:58,758
And the press secretary,
to jolt him out of this,
750
00:36:58,799 --> 00:37:03,679
screamed very loudly,
"Her husband is a screenwriter."
751
00:37:03,721 --> 00:37:05,973
And honestly,
he popped--I'm not kidding,
752
00:37:06,015 --> 00:37:09,268
his neck tightened,
the age spots disappeared.
753
00:37:09,310 --> 00:37:14,148
He popped up and wanted to talk
about movies and there he was.
754
00:37:14,190 --> 00:37:15,691
I never could diagnose it.
755
00:37:15,733 --> 00:37:17,902
So I never said anything.
756
00:37:19,737 --> 00:37:22,073
[Ron Jr.]
As his son, I just thought,
757
00:37:22,114 --> 00:37:25,368
hmm, something just
a little bit off here.
758
00:37:25,409 --> 00:37:26,577
I don't know what it is.
759
00:37:26,619 --> 00:37:28,246
It could just be
that he's getting older.
760
00:37:28,287 --> 00:37:31,749
He's now in his 70s,
and you tend to slow down a bit.
761
00:37:31,791 --> 00:37:34,919
But there's something
just a little odd here.
762
00:37:36,462 --> 00:37:41,092
[Tumulty] All these people
who dismissed Nancy Reagan
763
00:37:41,133 --> 00:37:45,763
as an empty-headed
fashionista socialite,
764
00:37:45,805 --> 00:37:51,435
suddenly see her exercising
a lot of power
765
00:37:51,477 --> 00:37:53,938
at a time when her husband
766
00:37:53,980 --> 00:37:57,942
seems incapable
of getting his own footing.
767
00:38:01,779 --> 00:38:05,574
[Spencer] Got a phone call from
Nancy Reagan and Ken Duberstein
768
00:38:05,616 --> 00:38:08,536
who was assistant Chief of Staff
at the time.
769
00:38:08,577 --> 00:38:11,289
They said,
"We like you to come back
770
00:38:11,330 --> 00:38:13,416
and talk to the president
771
00:38:13,457 --> 00:38:16,961
and try to help us work
our way through this problem."
772
00:38:18,879 --> 00:38:21,465
[Adelman] We started questioning
the president.
773
00:38:21,507 --> 00:38:23,592
Every which way of Sunday,
774
00:38:24,802 --> 00:38:26,387
to figure out whether or not
775
00:38:26,429 --> 00:38:28,889
he was telling the truth
to the American people.
776
00:38:28,931 --> 00:38:32,893
And what did he know
and when did he know it.
777
00:38:32,935 --> 00:38:35,730
[Parvin]
You got a very historic sense
778
00:38:35,771 --> 00:38:39,233
that this is how...
779
00:38:39,275 --> 00:38:42,653
presidencies can fall.
780
00:38:42,695 --> 00:38:44,905
Are you saying
the president made mistakes?
781
00:38:44,947 --> 00:38:46,824
Yes, the president
made mistakes.
782
00:38:46,866 --> 00:38:49,285
I think that's--
that's very plain English.
783
00:38:49,327 --> 00:38:50,995
The president did make mistakes.
784
00:38:51,037 --> 00:38:53,831
I believe that,
uh, the president was
785
00:38:53,873 --> 00:38:57,293
poorly advised
and poorly served.
786
00:38:57,335 --> 00:38:59,920
[Alter] Nancy tries
to do anything she can
787
00:38:59,962 --> 00:39:01,672
to try to straighten this out.
788
00:39:01,714 --> 00:39:06,427
The new objective
is to change the narrative.
789
00:39:06,469 --> 00:39:08,804
[man] Mr. President,
what do you think have to do
790
00:39:08,846 --> 00:39:10,890
to restore your credibility?
791
00:39:13,017 --> 00:39:15,311
Ask me that question
after the speech tonight.
792
00:39:15,353 --> 00:39:17,396
[Thomas] So you're not going
to apologize tonight
793
00:39:17,438 --> 00:39:19,398
to the American people?
794
00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:20,900
Tune in.
795
00:39:22,902 --> 00:39:24,445
[Nancy] You'll be great.
796
00:39:24,487 --> 00:39:26,155
I'm gonna break a leg.
797
00:39:26,197 --> 00:39:27,239
No, what--No. Good luck.
798
00:39:27,281 --> 00:39:29,116
[laughs]
799
00:39:29,158 --> 00:39:31,327
[Parvin] The big question
was whether the president
800
00:39:31,369 --> 00:39:35,748
would admit he traded arms
for hostages.
801
00:39:35,790 --> 00:39:38,667
The problem was that
he didn't, in his heart,
802
00:39:38,709 --> 00:39:41,170
believe that he did.
803
00:39:41,212 --> 00:39:45,508
So I went around and around,
how do I bridge that gap
804
00:39:45,549 --> 00:39:47,385
that he would accept?
805
00:39:47,426 --> 00:39:50,888
And so what I
finally came up with was...
806
00:39:50,930 --> 00:39:53,724
A few months ago,
I told the American people
807
00:39:53,766 --> 00:39:56,560
I did not trade arms
for hostages.
808
00:39:56,602 --> 00:40:00,523
My heart and my best intention
still tell me that's true.
809
00:40:00,564 --> 00:40:04,068
But the facts and the evidence
tell me it is not.
810
00:40:04,110 --> 00:40:06,070
As the Tower board reported,
811
00:40:06,112 --> 00:40:09,073
what began as
a strategic opening to Iran
812
00:40:09,115 --> 00:40:11,242
deteriorated
in its implementation...
813
00:40:12,451 --> 00:40:18,874
[Alter] That line is just...
vintage Reagan.
814
00:40:18,916 --> 00:40:20,709
His heart
is telling him one thing
815
00:40:20,751 --> 00:40:23,254
and the facts
are telling him another?
816
00:40:24,004 --> 00:40:29,093
Really? I mean, only Reagan
could get away with saying that.
817
00:40:29,969 --> 00:40:31,637
And that just tells you
818
00:40:31,679 --> 00:40:36,600
how deep he was
into fantasyland.
819
00:40:36,642 --> 00:40:39,103
[Ron Jr.] He was depressed.
820
00:40:39,145 --> 00:40:41,272
He knew that the public
wasn't on his side.
821
00:40:41,313 --> 00:40:42,898
He knew there's something
822
00:40:42,940 --> 00:40:46,485
almost unfathomable
to him was happening.
823
00:40:46,527 --> 00:40:48,195
You deserve the truth...
824
00:40:48,237 --> 00:40:50,114
[Spencer]
The speech he finally gave
825
00:40:50,156 --> 00:40:53,367
was, um, not a mea culpa at all.
826
00:40:53,409 --> 00:40:57,538
Uh, it was in my mind,
it was continually in denial
827
00:40:57,580 --> 00:41:00,040
knowing anything about it.
828
00:41:00,082 --> 00:41:03,085
And--but the truth is who knows?
829
00:41:03,127 --> 00:41:05,296
contemplative music plays
830
00:41:05,337 --> 00:41:07,548
[dog yapping]
831
00:41:07,590 --> 00:41:10,301
[Tumulty] The next day,
The New York Times writes
832
00:41:10,342 --> 00:41:12,803
it's the biggest
presidential mea culpa
833
00:41:12,845 --> 00:41:15,723
since John F. Kennedy
and the Bay of Pigs.
834
00:41:15,764 --> 00:41:19,477
But whatever the reality,
835
00:41:19,518 --> 00:41:21,854
it does the trick.
836
00:41:21,896 --> 00:41:25,608
Ronald Reagan's poll numbers
go up overnight
837
00:41:25,649 --> 00:41:31,113
because the American people
really feel for the first time
838
00:41:31,155 --> 00:41:33,491
that he's being honest
with them about this.
839
00:41:33,532 --> 00:41:36,368
[helicopter blades whirring]
840
00:41:39,914 --> 00:41:42,208
[Stahl] I remember thinking
that Iran-Contra
841
00:41:42,249 --> 00:41:45,544
was gonna destroy him
completely.
842
00:41:45,586 --> 00:41:48,839
Nope. He bounced back.
843
00:41:48,881 --> 00:41:51,634
But Don Reagan,
844
00:41:51,675 --> 00:41:54,178
after Nancy got rid of him,
845
00:41:54,220 --> 00:41:56,388
wanted to embarrass her
846
00:41:56,430 --> 00:41:57,848
and hurt her image.
847
00:41:57,890 --> 00:41:59,517
So, he got back at her.
848
00:41:59,558 --> 00:42:02,186
Donald Regan,
former Treasury Secretary
849
00:42:02,228 --> 00:42:03,979
and White House Chief of Staff,
850
00:42:04,021 --> 00:42:06,023
out this morning
with a new controversial book
851
00:42:06,065 --> 00:42:07,942
about the Reagan administration.
852
00:42:07,983 --> 00:42:10,653
The book portrays
President Reagan as a hesitant
853
00:42:10,694 --> 00:42:12,696
and unassertive chief executive
854
00:42:12,738 --> 00:42:15,950
controlled to a large extent
by a scheming image-conscious
855
00:42:15,991 --> 00:42:17,993
first lady who depended heavily
856
00:42:18,035 --> 00:42:20,079
on the predictions
of an astrologer.
857
00:42:21,539 --> 00:42:24,875
[Stahl] This was
Don Reagan's sweet revenge.
858
00:42:24,917 --> 00:42:26,544
You call it, "for the record.
859
00:42:26,585 --> 00:42:28,712
Why didn't you call it
"Don't Get Mad, Get Even"?
860
00:42:28,754 --> 00:42:31,340
Because that's what appears
to be to a lot of people.
861
00:42:31,382 --> 00:42:33,926
It is not a story about
Mrs. Reagan or anyone else.
862
00:42:33,968 --> 00:42:35,344
If it's embarrassing to them,
863
00:42:35,386 --> 00:42:37,346
it's only
because it's true history.
864
00:42:37,388 --> 00:42:39,431
[Ruth Quigley]
Nancy was very upset about it.
865
00:42:39,473 --> 00:42:43,060
And on Nancy's last conversation
with Joan, she said,
866
00:42:43,102 --> 00:42:45,771
"Joan, you can't say anything.
867
00:42:45,813 --> 00:42:48,232
Lie if you have to. Just lie."
868
00:42:48,274 --> 00:42:50,234
And Joan said
that was the last word
869
00:42:50,276 --> 00:42:52,236
she and Nancy ever exchanged was
870
00:42:52,278 --> 00:42:56,282
Nancy saying to her,
"Lie if you have to. Just lie."
871
00:42:56,323 --> 00:42:59,076
I am a serious
political astrologer,
872
00:42:59,118 --> 00:43:01,912
and I object to the whole
circus atmosphere
873
00:43:01,954 --> 00:43:04,248
surrounding this situation.
874
00:43:04,290 --> 00:43:06,333
And she put up shield over him--
875
00:43:06,375 --> 00:43:09,253
what we used to call
the mantle of heaven.
876
00:43:09,295 --> 00:43:14,258
Nancy Reagan was gonna
make sure they were protected,
877
00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:19,513
that his image was protected
no matter what.
878
00:43:19,555 --> 00:43:23,892
suspenseful music plays
879
00:43:23,934 --> 00:43:26,937
[indistinct chatter]
880
00:43:26,979 --> 00:43:28,897
[crowd chanting]
...own fault, just fire it up.
881
00:43:28,939 --> 00:43:31,442
Won't take his own fault,
just fire it up.
882
00:43:31,483 --> 00:43:34,820
Fight back, fight AIDS!
Fight back, fight AIDS!
883
00:43:34,862 --> 00:43:36,947
AIDS is spreading
so fast in America
884
00:43:36,989 --> 00:43:38,574
that within five years,
885
00:43:38,616 --> 00:43:42,161
it will have killed
179,000 people.
886
00:43:42,202 --> 00:43:44,622
That is just one of many
alarming numbers to emerge
887
00:43:44,663 --> 00:43:48,250
from a federal government
forecast on the disease today.
888
00:43:48,292 --> 00:43:52,796
By 1987, uh, the epidemic
is raging out of control.
889
00:43:52,838 --> 00:43:55,132
[crowd]
We've got to fight AIDS.
890
00:43:55,174 --> 00:43:56,925
[Sean]
The advocacy in the streets
891
00:43:56,967 --> 00:43:59,136
had reached a whole new level.
892
00:43:59,178 --> 00:44:02,473
There is rampant
discrimination based on AIDS
893
00:44:02,514 --> 00:44:04,558
and that this is hampering the
public health control efforts.
894
00:44:04,600 --> 00:44:07,311
[Fauci]
The more the activists pushed,
895
00:44:07,353 --> 00:44:10,147
the more the administration
drew back.
896
00:44:10,189 --> 00:44:14,068
And it was sort
of a self-defeating
897
00:44:14,109 --> 00:44:16,987
phenomenon that we were seeing.
-[crowd shouting]
898
00:44:17,029 --> 00:44:19,657
[Kramer] People die every day.
Friends get sick every day.
899
00:44:19,698 --> 00:44:21,909
I don't--it's like
being in the trenches.
900
00:44:21,950 --> 00:44:23,661
There is such anger
in the community,
901
00:44:23,702 --> 00:44:27,998
and it is coalescing in a way
that has never been done before.
902
00:44:28,040 --> 00:44:30,501
[cheers and applause]
903
00:44:30,542 --> 00:44:34,296
dramatic music plays
904
00:44:37,633 --> 00:44:41,804
[Taylor] The issue that
was becoming steadily worse,
905
00:44:41,845 --> 00:44:43,472
and it was still in the closet.
906
00:44:43,514 --> 00:44:45,474
People would not talk about it.
907
00:44:45,516 --> 00:44:47,017
[woman] The very public death
908
00:44:47,059 --> 00:44:48,852
of her close friend,
Rock Hudson,
909
00:44:48,894 --> 00:44:50,813
first brought the disease
out of the shadows
910
00:44:50,854 --> 00:44:52,356
and into the American spotlight.
911
00:44:55,025 --> 00:44:58,237
It brought attention
to the Reagans
912
00:44:58,278 --> 00:45:00,906
in kind of a personal way
because the friendship
913
00:45:00,948 --> 00:45:03,492
and they had this long history
together in Hollywood.
914
00:45:03,534 --> 00:45:06,870
This was so clearly
invading their life as well.
915
00:45:08,622 --> 00:45:11,333
[Ron Jr.] First Lady isn't
as isolated as the president is.
916
00:45:11,375 --> 00:45:13,544
So she was talking
to her friends
917
00:45:13,585 --> 00:45:17,840
and talking to me,
and she got it before he did.
918
00:45:17,881 --> 00:45:19,967
[man] With conservatives saying
the president should not support
919
00:45:20,008 --> 00:45:22,052
what amounts
to gay rights legislation,
920
00:45:22,094 --> 00:45:23,554
well, the First Lady is known
921
00:45:23,595 --> 00:45:26,181
to have strong views about
protecting AIDS victims.
922
00:45:26,223 --> 00:45:29,560
The White House
was basically dragged
923
00:45:29,601 --> 00:45:33,147
into addressing
the AIDS issue in a speech.
924
00:45:33,188 --> 00:45:36,066
At Elizabeth Taylor's
urging, Mrs. Reagan
925
00:45:36,108 --> 00:45:38,068
realized they were
behind the curve,
926
00:45:38,110 --> 00:45:40,070
and she got things rolling.
927
00:45:41,196 --> 00:45:44,742
The White House
speechwriting staff was--
928
00:45:44,783 --> 00:45:47,077
it was hardcore conservative.
929
00:45:47,119 --> 00:45:50,873
Mrs. Reagan didn't want
the AIDS speech
930
00:45:50,914 --> 00:45:52,374
to fall into those hands.
931
00:45:52,416 --> 00:45:54,126
That's why I was hired.
932
00:45:55,419 --> 00:45:58,964
Things were so behind
that when I talked
933
00:45:59,006 --> 00:46:00,299
to Sergeant General Koop,
934
00:46:00,340 --> 00:46:02,676
I realized he had never even met
935
00:46:02,718 --> 00:46:04,219
with the president on AIDS.
936
00:46:04,261 --> 00:46:06,889
I just couldn't believe it.
937
00:46:06,930 --> 00:46:09,767
With everything that's going on
in the country, how can that be?
938
00:46:09,808 --> 00:46:11,143
[indistinct chatter]
939
00:46:11,185 --> 00:46:14,563
This was six years
into the epidemic.
940
00:46:14,605 --> 00:46:17,274
There were probably
20,000 people dead by then,
941
00:46:17,316 --> 00:46:19,276
maybe 30,000 people dead
by then.
942
00:46:20,986 --> 00:46:23,614
[Parvin] Certain conservative
members of the cabinet
943
00:46:23,655 --> 00:46:25,407
got involved,
944
00:46:25,449 --> 00:46:28,952
pushing against what
we could and could not say.
945
00:46:28,994 --> 00:46:30,621
It was just battle after battle.
946
00:46:30,662 --> 00:46:34,166
For example, should the
president use the word "condom"?
947
00:46:37,669 --> 00:46:39,963
[woman]
The setting was gala,
948
00:46:40,005 --> 00:46:42,090
but the mood distinctly was not.
949
00:46:42,132 --> 00:46:43,967
It was Ronald Reagan's
950
00:46:44,009 --> 00:46:47,304
first major address
on federal policy on AIDS.
951
00:46:47,346 --> 00:46:50,098
AIDS is
surreptitiously spreading
952
00:46:50,140 --> 00:46:51,975
throughout our population,
953
00:46:52,017 --> 00:46:55,479
and yet we have no accurate
measure of its scope.
954
00:46:55,521 --> 00:46:57,272
It's time we knew exactly
what we were facing.
955
00:46:57,314 --> 00:47:03,237
[Sean] It was more important as
a political opportunity for him
956
00:47:03,278 --> 00:47:06,782
than it was
as a humanitarian crisis.
957
00:47:06,824 --> 00:47:10,577
I've asked HHS to add
the AIDS virus to the list
958
00:47:10,619 --> 00:47:12,371
of contagious diseases
959
00:47:12,412 --> 00:47:13,956
for which immigrants and aliens
960
00:47:13,997 --> 00:47:16,542
seeking permanent residence
in the United States
961
00:47:16,583 --> 00:47:19,253
can be denied entry.
962
00:47:19,294 --> 00:47:22,464
[audience shouting and booing]
963
00:47:22,506 --> 00:47:25,592
[Sean] Some of us were able to
get tickets into the event.
964
00:47:25,634 --> 00:47:28,512
We would boo him,
and then we were getting,
965
00:47:28,554 --> 00:47:30,472
like, hushed
or kind of booed back
966
00:47:30,514 --> 00:47:32,850
from the audience,
you know, to drown us out.
967
00:47:32,891 --> 00:47:35,936
[Ronald] Now, let me turn
to what the States can do.
968
00:47:35,978 --> 00:47:37,938
[applause, crowd booing]
969
00:47:37,980 --> 00:47:40,357
[cheers and applause]
970
00:47:42,985 --> 00:47:46,321
I mean,
there was so much hurt...
971
00:47:51,535 --> 00:47:53,537
um, that people were feeling.
972
00:47:55,747 --> 00:47:57,708
It was not the speech
I would have given,
973
00:47:57,749 --> 00:48:00,502
but it was the speech...
974
00:48:00,544 --> 00:48:03,338
that went as far as I could
get it to go.
975
00:48:03,380 --> 00:48:04,590
[Ronald] It's something that
976
00:48:04,631 --> 00:48:08,010
a young man with AIDS
recently said,
977
00:48:08,051 --> 00:48:13,140
"I am going to fight the disease
with every breath I have."
978
00:48:13,181 --> 00:48:17,227
Ladies and gentlemen,
so must we.
979
00:48:17,269 --> 00:48:20,063
-Thank you.
[cheers and applause]
980
00:48:20,105 --> 00:48:23,358
[crowd booing]
981
00:48:26,737 --> 00:48:28,739
[Sean] I can tell
the president was shaken.
982
00:48:30,365 --> 00:48:32,200
I mean, you could just tell.
983
00:48:33,577 --> 00:48:36,246
[Fauci] I was gratified
that he said AIDS,
984
00:48:36,288 --> 00:48:38,540
but I had a big feeling
of it's about time.
985
00:48:41,460 --> 00:48:43,837
It was puzzling
to a number of people,
986
00:48:43,879 --> 00:48:45,380
myself included,
987
00:48:45,422 --> 00:48:49,676
why Nancy Reagan
did not push a bit more
988
00:48:49,718 --> 00:48:52,220
to have the president
and the people around him
989
00:48:52,262 --> 00:48:54,598
using the bully pulpit
of the presidency
990
00:48:54,640 --> 00:48:56,850
in the beginning,
warning people.
991
00:48:56,892 --> 00:48:58,685
[applause]
992
00:48:58,727 --> 00:49:00,854
[Sean] If it hadn't been
for Elizabeth Taylor
993
00:49:00,896 --> 00:49:04,441
really insisting and cleverly
lobbying and setting it up
994
00:49:04,483 --> 00:49:06,860
so that Reagan
would speak at that,
995
00:49:06,902 --> 00:49:11,365
he might have never given
a significant address on AIDS.
996
00:49:11,406 --> 00:49:13,367
And that was nearing
the end of his second term.
997
00:49:21,541 --> 00:49:24,378
[Sean] Had he all the way
taken the steps
998
00:49:24,419 --> 00:49:26,797
in the early 1980s,
999
00:49:26,838 --> 00:49:29,675
but his administration did not
allow those things to be done.
1000
00:49:29,716 --> 00:49:34,054
And instead, he abdicated
responsibility on AIDS.
1001
00:49:34,096 --> 00:49:37,099
And that abdication
brought pain and suffering
1002
00:49:37,140 --> 00:49:38,809
to so many.
1003
00:49:40,477 --> 00:49:42,938
And we still see
the reverberations of it today.
1004
00:49:51,029 --> 00:49:52,572
What you essentially had
1005
00:49:52,614 --> 00:49:54,616
near the end
of Reagan's presidency
1006
00:49:54,658 --> 00:49:58,829
was a man who had to be
propped up by his wife,
1007
00:49:58,870 --> 00:50:00,497
members of his staff,
1008
00:50:00,539 --> 00:50:03,000
by loyalists
in his administration
1009
00:50:03,041 --> 00:50:06,503
to redefine the myth
of the Reagan presidency.
1010
00:50:09,172 --> 00:50:12,300
[Ron Jr.] He wrote in his diary
during his presidency
1011
00:50:12,342 --> 00:50:16,513
about flying over the canyons
of the West Coast of California,
1012
00:50:16,555 --> 00:50:18,724
familiar canyons to him,
1013
00:50:18,765 --> 00:50:20,809
couldn't remember
any of their names.
1014
00:50:21,476 --> 00:50:24,688
That struck him enough
that he put it in his diary
1015
00:50:24,730 --> 00:50:28,150
with a kind of slightly alarmed,
you know, tone.
1016
00:50:28,191 --> 00:50:31,194
contemplative music plays
1017
00:50:31,236 --> 00:50:34,406
[Ron Jr.] Was something going on
in his mind at the time?
1018
00:50:34,448 --> 00:50:38,076
Well, we know that Alzheimer's
takes about 10 years at least
1019
00:50:38,118 --> 00:50:42,039
to develop to the point
where you end up with dementia.
1020
00:50:42,080 --> 00:50:45,751
So, he has the disease
while he's in the White House.
1021
00:50:45,792 --> 00:50:49,296
That's really pretty
much unquestionable.
1022
00:50:49,337 --> 00:50:51,965
I ran that
by his neurologists, too,
1023
00:50:52,007 --> 00:50:55,469
who confirmed that
that had to be the case.
1024
00:50:55,510 --> 00:50:57,763
[Johnson]
It was Nancy recognizing
1025
00:50:57,804 --> 00:50:59,723
more than the press
was willing to admit
1026
00:50:59,765 --> 00:51:02,059
that he was entering
the early stages of Alzheimer's
1027
00:51:02,100 --> 00:51:03,518
became concerned
with his legacy.
1028
00:51:03,560 --> 00:51:07,314
She wanted to transform him
into the man
1029
00:51:07,355 --> 00:51:10,692
who stares down the Soviet Union
and saves this country,
1030
00:51:10,734 --> 00:51:13,028
saves the world
from nuclear conflict.
1031
00:51:18,575 --> 00:51:20,577
[Alter]
The Reagans understood
1032
00:51:20,619 --> 00:51:23,246
the theater
of the American presidency,
1033
00:51:23,288 --> 00:51:27,626
the stagecraft that's involved,
and the importance of creating
1034
00:51:27,667 --> 00:51:29,461
an emotional connection
to the audience
1035
00:51:29,503 --> 00:51:32,130
to make that performance
a winning one.
1036
00:51:32,172 --> 00:51:35,342
[cheers and applause]
1037
00:51:39,763 --> 00:51:44,142
Mr. Gorbachev,
tear down this wall.
1038
00:51:44,184 --> 00:51:46,812
[cheers and applause]
1039
00:51:49,439 --> 00:51:51,149
[Shultz] They're great friends.
1040
00:51:51,191 --> 00:51:53,527
And there were some people
in the State Department
1041
00:51:53,568 --> 00:51:55,654
and also in the NIC Staff
1042
00:51:55,695 --> 00:51:57,781
who thought
it was too provocative.
1043
00:51:57,823 --> 00:51:59,533
And they tried
to get it knocked out.
1044
00:51:59,574 --> 00:52:01,952
But the president kept it in.
1045
00:52:01,993 --> 00:52:04,204
[cheers and applause]
1046
00:52:04,246 --> 00:52:07,916
It became the signature line
of Reagan's eight years.
1047
00:52:07,958 --> 00:52:10,627
[cheers and applause]
1048
00:52:18,927 --> 00:52:20,554
[Johnson]
Reagan's success was in part
1049
00:52:20,595 --> 00:52:22,556
because he was
the ultimate pitchman,
1050
00:52:22,597 --> 00:52:23,890
and this is important
to understand.
1051
00:52:23,932 --> 00:52:25,809
Ronald Reagan's
ultimate sales pitch
1052
00:52:25,851 --> 00:52:27,269
wasn't to the American people.
1053
00:52:27,310 --> 00:52:28,937
It was to journalism.
1054
00:52:28,979 --> 00:52:32,107
He completely flipped
the media industrial complex
1055
00:52:32,149 --> 00:52:33,650
in America on its head.
1056
00:52:33,692 --> 00:52:36,111
And by the time
he left office in 1988,
1057
00:52:36,153 --> 00:52:38,822
he was not just a hero
to the Republican Party,
1058
00:52:38,864 --> 00:52:40,824
he was a hero to American media
1059
00:52:40,866 --> 00:52:44,536
because he had given them
the sort of televised president
1060
00:52:44,578 --> 00:52:46,705
that they had always
wanted to see.
1061
00:52:49,416 --> 00:52:54,504
[Stahl] They manipulated us
by making sure we had pictures
1062
00:52:54,546 --> 00:52:58,925
with the president in the scene
that we absolutely had to use.
1063
00:52:58,967 --> 00:53:02,137
And they fed us
gorgeous pictures.
1064
00:53:02,179 --> 00:53:06,433
When the pictures are stronger
than what you're saying,
1065
00:53:06,474 --> 00:53:10,687
the pictures will override,
and people won't even hear you.
1066
00:53:12,397 --> 00:53:15,859
[Scheer] He was particularly
gifted in manipulation
1067
00:53:15,901 --> 00:53:19,613
by being an actor
and being able to follow scripts
1068
00:53:19,654 --> 00:53:21,865
and play a folksy person.
1069
00:53:21,907 --> 00:53:25,869
He was destructive
to the people who trusted him
1070
00:53:25,911 --> 00:53:29,623
and caused a great deal of harm.
1071
00:53:29,664 --> 00:53:32,918
Ronald Reagan
was famously affable.
1072
00:53:32,959 --> 00:53:34,836
But I think
it's important to know
1073
00:53:34,878 --> 00:53:37,339
that he was a friendly man
with one friend,
1074
00:53:37,380 --> 00:53:39,549
and he married her.
1075
00:53:41,092 --> 00:53:45,555
[Spencer] She was playing
the role of the wife,
1076
00:53:45,597 --> 00:53:47,724
but I think she wanted
the world to know
1077
00:53:47,766 --> 00:53:49,893
that she was the power
behind the throne.
1078
00:53:49,935 --> 00:53:52,437
I do.
1079
00:53:52,479 --> 00:53:54,940
[Johnson]
Ronald Reagan believed
1080
00:53:54,981 --> 00:53:57,525
that a mythological America
never existed.
1081
00:53:58,944 --> 00:54:00,904
He didn't really care
about taking us back to it.
1082
00:54:00,946 --> 00:54:02,405
He thought that
it still existed.
1083
00:54:02,447 --> 00:54:04,574
It was just covered over
1084
00:54:04,616 --> 00:54:06,701
in civil rights
and government regulation.
1085
00:54:06,743 --> 00:54:08,745
And if you move those things
out of the way,
1086
00:54:08,787 --> 00:54:10,830
this America
that never existed
1087
00:54:10,872 --> 00:54:13,083
that he magically believed in
was going to come back.
1088
00:54:16,127 --> 00:54:18,546
[Ron Jr.] My father
was not comfortable with
1089
00:54:18,588 --> 00:54:20,882
a lot of negativity.
1090
00:54:20,924 --> 00:54:23,885
If America was a great country,
1091
00:54:23,927 --> 00:54:26,429
then it needed to be great
through and through.
1092
00:54:26,471 --> 00:54:31,935
So, whether it was racism,
misogyny, wealth and inequality,
1093
00:54:31,977 --> 00:54:36,106
these systemic issues,
you might say, with America
1094
00:54:36,147 --> 00:54:39,109
made my father
very uncomfortable.
1095
00:54:39,150 --> 00:54:42,654
So he would edit it out.
1096
00:54:42,696 --> 00:54:45,407
[Wiley]
And it was all mythmaking.
1097
00:54:45,448 --> 00:54:48,326
It was all brilliant acting.
1098
00:54:48,368 --> 00:54:53,790
Ronald Reagan remains
an incredible societal myth,
1099
00:54:53,832 --> 00:54:57,127
the myth
of the perfect president.
1100
00:54:59,379 --> 00:55:01,715
[David] You're the only
movie actor I know of
1101
00:55:01,756 --> 00:55:03,508
who ever got elected
to a high office.
1102
00:55:03,550 --> 00:55:05,260
Do you learn anything
as an actor
1103
00:55:05,302 --> 00:55:08,930
that has been useful
to you as president?
1104
00:55:08,972 --> 00:55:12,225
[Ronald] I'm tempted
to say something here.
1105
00:55:12,267 --> 00:55:13,768
-[David] Go ahead and say it.
-Well, I'm gonna say it.
1106
00:55:13,810 --> 00:55:15,645
-[David] Go ahead.
-There have been times
1107
00:55:15,687 --> 00:55:18,398
in this office when I wondered
1108
00:55:18,440 --> 00:55:22,819
how you could do the job
if you hadn't been an actor.
87144
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