Ronald Reagan's son says he's not voting for Trump, and his dad likely wouldn't have, either


More than a decade after his death, Ronald Reagan still looms over Republican politics, and his son revealed that he's highly doubtful his father would have rallied behind the presumptive GOP nominee.
Conservative political strategist Michael Reagan tweeted on Monday that he would not be voting for Donald Trump during California's Republican primary on Tuesday, and added in a message to Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus that "this most likely would be the 1st time if my father was alive that we would not support the nominee of the GOP." In an interview with Newsmax, Reagan said he was contemplating writing "Ronald Reagan" on his ballot because he is offended by Trump's comments about a judge with Mexican heritage. "My father would not vote for Donald Trump" in the California primary, he added, "and he may even say, 'I didn't leave the party. The party left me.'"
This didn't sit well with Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson, who said on CNN Tuesday that despite the fact that he's Ronald Reagan's son, Michael Reagan "doesn't know what Ronald Reagan would do." After being asked by Wolf Blitzer if she truly believed she knew the former president better than his own son, Pierson replied with a word salad, saying that Michael Reagan "wouldn't know what he would possibly do, because we have a lot of individuals who we would assume wouldn't support Mr. Trump and who have, so I think it's safe to say you can assume either way."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
'Crony capitalism is a sharp break from free market ideals'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
August 1 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Friday’s political cartoons include thought replacement tools, the opposite of woke, and more
-
Is Trump's tariffs plan working?
Today's Big Question Trump has touted 'victories', but inflation is the 'elephant in the room'
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein
-
Judge halts GOP defunding of Planned Parenthood
Speed Read The Trump administration can't withhold Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood, said the ruling
-
Trump contradicts Israel, says 'starvation' in Gaza
Speed Read The president suggests Israel could be doing more to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets