The President’s Inbox

Ronald Reagan on U.S. Global Leadership, with Max Boot

Sep 10, 2024

Max Boot, a senior fellow for national security studies at CFR and a columnist for The Washington Post, joins James M. Lindsay to unpack Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy legacy. They discuss Reagan's complex presidency, noting his triumphs like economic revival alongside failures such as delayed crisis responses. The dialogue highlights Reagan's communication prowess, his transformative summit with Gorbachev, and contrasts his tactics with the current U.S.-China relations. Boot emphasizes the necessity of active U.S. global leadership amidst contemporary isolationist trends.

33:39

Creator website

Episode guests

Max Boot

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Max Boot emphasizes that understanding Ronald Reagan's legacy requires recognizing both his significant achievements and notable failures in U.S. foreign policy.

The podcast highlights Reagan's transition from Hollywood to politics as a critical period that shaped his conservative ideology and political skills.

Deep dives

The Drive for a Balanced Biography of Ronald Reagan

Max Boot discusses his motivation for writing a comprehensive biography of Ronald Reagan, emphasizing the lack of a definitive and balanced account until now. He notes that while previous efforts, such as Edmund Morris's fictionalized portrayal, fell short, he aims to present Reagan's life with an objective lens that captures both his successes and failures. Boot argues for the unique opportunity to analyze Reagan's legacy with the benefit of historical distance from the politically charged environment of the past. Ultimately, he seeks to reveal the complexities of Reagan, not merely as a legend, but as a multifaceted individual with a significant impact on American history.

Intro

3min

The Complex Legacy of Ronald Reagan

19min

The Art of Communication and Public Connection

2min

Reagan and Gorbachev: A Summit of Change

5min

Lessons from Reagan's Tactics: A Cautionary Tale for U.S.-China Relations

2min

Reagan's Legacy and Contemporary U.S. Global Leadership

2min

Max Boot, the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at CFR and a columnist for The Washington Post, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Ronald Reagan’s life and his impact on U.S. foreign policy.

Enter the CFR book giveaway by September 24, 2024, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Reagan: His Life and Legend by Max Boot. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.

Mentioned on the Episode

Max Boot, “Reagan Didn’t Win the Cold War,” Foreign Affairs

Max Boot, Reagan: His Life and Legend

Max Boot, The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam

Shreya Chattopadhyay and Miguel Salazar, "22 Nonfiction Books to Read This Fall," New York Times

Edmund Morris, Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan, "Address to the Nation About Christmas and the Situation in Poland"

Ronald Reagan, "Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger"

Ronald Reagan, “Remarks at a Ceremony Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Normandy Invasion, D-Day"

“Ronald Reagan, Mastermind,” Saturday Night Live

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/ronald-reagan-us-global-leadership-max-boot