Noshing With Ken Khachigian – October 3, 2024
Manage episode 443304268 series 2928496
Author, Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan & Nixon
This week, Ira spoke with speechwriter, confidant and strategist Ken Khachigian, author of Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan & Nixon. In this inside episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Ken talks about why he decided to write the book (including information nobody else had); how he kept diaries and meticulous records; how Nixon and Reagan jointly ended the Cold War; how he had the discipline to write notes on his meetings with the two presidents despite his grueling schedule; how he gained the trust of two dissimilar presidents; why they both felt comfortable with him; why he took Reagan at his word; how he felt he was part of history with both Nixon and Reagan; how there was internal disloyalty in the Reagan administration; why power is a terrible addiction; what he regrets; the technology at the time; how he unearthed a “very significant piece of information in the Reagan archives that on one else saw; how he avoided becoming jaded working in that high-level environment; and the big historical takeaway from the book.
Ken Khachigian served as a trusted speechwriter, confidant, and strategist to Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, witnessing some of the 20th century’s most pivotal moments from the Oval Office, Air Force One, and beyond. Known as Reagan’s favorite speechwriter, Ken crafted iconic speeches, including Reagan’s 1985 address at Bergen Belsen, described as the “best speech of his career.” Joining Reagan’s 1980 campaign, Ken played a key role in his White House victory and later helped shape Reagan’s economic recovery messaging. His close partnership with Reagan continued through major speeches, including State of the Union addresses, foreign policy remarks, and Reagan’s 1988 Farewell Address to the Republican National Convention.
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