THE FOUNDING MEMBERS

Exclusive weekly episodes & ad-free listening

$9.99/mo or $99.99/yr after trial

Ronald Reagan: The Hollywood President (The Rest is Politics: US)

The Rest is Politics: US

Ronald Reagan is one of the most mythologized figures in American politics, but how did an actor and former Democrat become the standard-bearer of conservatism? In this new series exclusively for Founding Members, Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci explore Reagan’s rise, legacy, and myth. Who was the real Ronald Reagan, and what does his story reveal about the Republican Party today under Donald Trump? Instagram: ⁠⁠@RestPoliticsUS⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠@RestPoliticsUS⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠therestispoliticsus@goalhanger.com⁠⁠ Assistant Producer: India Dunkley Producer: Fiona Douglas Video Editor: Kieron Leslie, Adam Thornton  Social Producer: Charlie Johnson  Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Head of Content: Tom Whiter Head of Digital: Sam Oakley Exec Producers: Tony Pastor, Jack Davenport 

Episodes

  1. EPISODE 1

    Ronald Reagan: The Hollywood President (Part 1)

    Ronald Reagan is one of the most mythologized figures in American politics, but how did an actor and former Democrat become the standard-bearer of conservatism? In this new series exclusively for Founding Members, Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci explore Reagan’s rise, legacy, and myth. Who was the real Ronald Reagan, and what does his story reveal about the Republican Party today under Donald Trump? In Episode 1, we trace Reagan’s unlikely transformation from small-town Democrat to Hollywood liberal, and finally to conservative crusader. Raised in poverty in the Midwest, he found fame on the silver screen before becoming a union activist, only to be pulled rightward by Cold War paranoia, tax battles, and a new marriage. Instagram: ⁠⁠@RestPoliticsUS⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠@RestPoliticsUS⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠therestispoliticsus@goalhanger.com⁠⁠ Assistant Producer: India Dunkley Producer: Fiona Douglas Video Editor: Kieron Leslie, Adam Thornton  Social Producer: Charlie Johnson  Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Head of Content: Tom Whiter Head of Digital: Sam Oakley Exec Producers: Tony Pastor, Jack Davenport

    52 min

  2. EPISODE 2 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Ronald Reagan: Heir to The Republican Throne (Part 2)

    Ronald Reagan seized the political moment after electrifying conservatives with his “Time for Choosing” speech. In this episode, Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci trace Reagan’s rise from outsider to Governor of California, navigating student protests, rising crime, and the turmoil of the late 1960s. Reagan became a national figure, and his ambitions stretched further. We explore Reagan’s first bid for the presidency, the lessons he learned, and how he built the political machine that would eventually carry him all the way to the White House. Become a Founding Member: Go deeper into US politics every week with ad-free listening, members-only miniseries, early access to live show tickets and a bonus members-only Q&A podcast every week. Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠therestispoliticsus.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@RestPoliticsUS⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠@RestPoliticsUS⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠therestispoliticsus@goalhanger.com⁠⁠⁠ Assistant Producer: India Dunkley Producer: Fiona Douglas Video Editor: Kieron Leslie, Adam Thornton  Social Producer: Charlie Johnson  Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Head of Content: Tom Whiter Head of Digital: Sam Oakley Exec Producers: Tony Pastor, Jack Davenport

    35 min

  3. EPISODE 3 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Ronald Reagan: Cheating Death and Igniting a Revolution (Part 3)

    Ronald Reagan takes his biggest leap yet: from Hollywood star and California governor to the White House. In this episode, Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci chart Reagan’s bruising campaign against Jimmy Carter, a landslide victory that redefined American politics, and the near-fatal assassination attempt that almost ended his presidency before it began. With his approval ratings soaring, Reagan rolls out his bold economic experiment — Reaganomics. Sweeping tax cuts, deregulation, and a dramatic showdown with striking air traffic controllers set the tone for a new conservative era. But behind the optimism and patriotic rhetoric lay recession, soaring unemployment, and a country still reeling from the turmoil of the 1970s. How did Reagan’s first years in power ignite a political revolution, and what price did America pay for it? Instagram: @RestPoliticsUS Twitter: @RestPoliticsUS Email: therestispoliticsus@goalhanger.com Assistant Producer: India Dunkley Producer: Fiona Douglas Video Editor: Kieron Leslie Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Head of Content: Tom Whiter Head of Digital: Sam Oakley Exec Producers: Tony Pastor, Jack Davenport

    49 min

  4. EPISODE 4 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Ronald Reagan vs. The Evil Empire (Part 4)

    By the mid-1980s, Ronald Reagan was riding high. The economy had bounced back, and his “Morning in America” message carried him to a landslide re-election. But behind the optimism, crises brewed. At home, the AIDS epidemic spread while the White House stayed silent. Abroad, Reagan’s “evil empire” speech, nuclear near-misses, and the launch of his “Star Wars” missile defense plan pushed the Cold War to its most dangerous point in decades. Then came a new face in Moscow, Mikhail Gorbachev, and the first real chance to imagine a world without nuclear weapons. Was Reagan’s success during these years a triumph of vision, or of image? In this episode, join Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci as they explore the highs, the crises, and the contradictions that defined the most pivotal stretch of his presidency. Instagram: ⁠@RestPoliticsUS⁠ Twitter: ⁠@RestPoliticsUS⁠ Email: ⁠therestispoliticsus@goalhanger.com⁠ Assistant Producer: India Dunkley Producer: Fiona Douglas Video Editor: Kieron Leslie  Social Producer: Charlie Johnson  Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Head of Content: Tom Whiter Head of Digital: Sam Oakley Exec Producers: Tony Pastor, Jack Davenport

    40 min

  5. EPISODE 5 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Did Ronald Reagan Create Trump? (Part 5)

    Katty and Anthony dive into the explosive Iran-Contra scandal — the secret arms deals, shredded documents, and the moment Reagan’s presidency nearly unraveled. Yet while scandal swirled, Reagan was also signing landmark nuclear treaties with Gorbachev. How did he survive politically? Was it his charm, myth-making, or distance from the details? And what about his legacy? We explore how Reagan reshaped the Republican Party, left behind a model of tax cuts and billionaire politics, and whether he ultimately set the stage for Donald Trump. Sunny optimism gave way to grievance; but did Reagan light the path? Instagram: ⁠@RestPoliticsUS⁠ Twitter: ⁠@RestPoliticsUS⁠ Email: ⁠therestispoliticsus@goalhanger.com⁠ Assistant Producer: India Dunkley Producer: Fiona Douglas Video Editor: Kieron Leslie  Social Producer: Charlie Johnson  Senior Producer: Callum Hill Head of Content: Tom Whiter Head of Digital: Sam Oakley Exec Producers: Tony Pastor, Jack Davenport

    49 min
  • 5 Episodes

Shows with Subscription Benefits

THE FOUNDING MEMBERS

Exclusive weekly episodes & ad-free listening

$9.99/mo or $99.99/yr after trial

View Subscription FAQs

About

Ronald Reagan is one of the most mythologized figures in American politics, but how did an actor and former Democrat become the standard-bearer of conservatism? In this new series exclusively for Founding Members, Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci explore Reagan’s rise, legacy, and myth. Who was the real Ronald Reagan, and what does his story reveal about the Republican Party today under Donald Trump? Instagram: ⁠⁠@RestPoliticsUS⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠@RestPoliticsUS⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠therestispoliticsus@goalhanger.com⁠⁠ Assistant Producer: India Dunkley Producer: Fiona Douglas Video Editor: Kieron Leslie, Adam Thornton  Social Producer: Charlie Johnson  Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Head of Content: Tom Whiter Head of Digital: Sam Oakley Exec Producers: Tony Pastor, Jack Davenport 

Information

More From The Rest is Politics: US

You Might Also Like