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A Pair of Presidential Anecdotes [1]

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Date: 2024-06-19  

Nothing major. Just reminded today of a story my mom told me years ago. She was a flack and ghost writer for a few lobby shops er, Institutes and Associations around Washington. Her bosses were often self-important Republican types representing toxic interests (often literally).

One of her last bosses, head of one chemical industry trade group, got invited to the White House late in Reagan’s second term, the period even his fans admit he was slipping into darkness, with the heads of a bunch of toxic industries to meet the president.

He came back from the experience disappointed, told my mom Reagan acted like he wasn’t really there, ignoring the polluters’ praises for his tax-cutting, regulation-eliminating presidency. Just a vaguely smiling blankness.

… until one visitor mentioned Reagan’s film career, and one particular movie (damned if I remember which one). Suddenly, the Gipper was alight, remembering his fellow cast members and details of scenes. On that high note, the visitors were ushered out and given their complimentary White House tchotchkes (might still have been matches and ash trays back then).

That story jumped to the front of my mind today when watching the CNN interview with Ramin Setoodeh, author of the new book “Apprentice in Wonderland.” Setoodeh recounted his post-presidential interviews with Trump and the former fellow’s memory difficulties.

The part that called up the Reagan story was at the end of the clip, about 4:50.

"He was happiest when he talked to me about hosting 'The Apprentice.' It was the thing that brought him the most joy. We watched clips of the show together. We watched the theme song and he really lit up. He watched the firing of Amarosa. “And then he would talk about what he did at the White House, and he would become gloomy and resentful and refer to Afghanistan and Joe Biden. “But he also seemed to think he still had some foreign policy powers. There was one day when he told me he needed to go upstairs and deal with Afghanistan."

Whether the ex-president was showing signs of following the Great Communicator down the dark path or just another tired, old man wishing he could call back the Glory Days, Setoodeh’s recollection reminded me a lot of my mom’s.

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