Family Feud: Reagan's Children Debate the Legacy of Their Father
Ron and Michael Reagan and Patti Davis Talk with Amanpour
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2011— -- In exclusive interviews, "This Week" anchor Christiane Amanpour sat down with President Ronald Reagan's three surviving children to talk about his lasting legacy. As the 100th anniversary of Reagan's birth approaches, his children have grappled with present-day conservatives who claim their father's mantle.
"There's a lot of people that try to redefine my father in their own image and likeness," Michael Reagan said. "And I think that, in fact, they do a disservice."
"You have these people running for president or want to be President of the United States, trying to literally play their own role of a lifetime and make people believe they are the next Ronald Reagan. And you know something? There was only one Ronald Reagan, thank God. And he was my father," Michael said.
"I think he would be amused and puzzled at people trying to imitate him," Patti Davis said. "Because he never imitated anybody. I mean, he was consummately his own person."
Amanpour asked Ron Reagan how he thought his father would fit into today's Republican party.
"Somewhat uneasily," he replied. "After all, he did raise taxes. He cut taxes, but then he raised taxes when he was president. The deficit certainly grew under his administration. He would blame the Democrats for that, of course, but nevertheless, it did grow. When he was governor of California, he signed into law one of the most liberal abortion policies in the country and also an amnesty program for illegal immigrants. So I'm not sure that today's Republican Party or Tea Party would be all that thrilled with him," Ron, Reagan's youngest child, said.
Michael Reagan disagreed with his brother. "He would have endorsed the Tea Party, what they're doing, and the fact is Ronald Reagan was the original Tea Party," he told Amanpour. President Reagan "understood that the electorate lived in the grass roots of this country. … It was grassroots America that supported Ronald Reagan back in 1980. That's why he became the President of the United States of America," Michael said.
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