Reagan’s Younger Son Claims Father’s Alzheimer’s May Have Begun While He Was Still In Office

by Alex Alvarez | 3:34 pm, January 14th, 2011

» 40 comments

Former president Ronald Reagan‘s youngest son, Ron Reagan, reveals in an upcoming book – My Father at 100: A Memoir – that his father’ struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease may have begun while he was still in office. U.S. News & World Report‘s “Washington Whispers” blog, which reviews the book with a more than a bit of wariness, notes that the younger Reagan’s claims have previously been “dismissed by Reagan’s doctors and outside experts.”

Ron shares that, although his father was not diagnosed with the disease until 1994, five years after his presidency, he observed that he acted “confused” and like “an out-of-touch president” both during his 1984 campaign and once again in 1986, when the President had trouble recalling the names of California canyons. He writes:

Watching the first of his two debates with 1984 Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale, I began to experience the nausea of a bad dream coming true. At 73, Ronald Reagan would be the oldest president ever reelected. Some voters were beginning to imagine grandpa—who can never find his reading glasses—in charge of a bristling nuclear arsenal, and it was making them nervous. Worse, my father now seemed to be giving them legitimate reason for concern. My heart sank as he floundered his way through his responses, fumbling with his notes, uncharacteristically lost for words. He looked tired and bewildered.

Happy Father’s Day!

Ron makes another controversial claim by asserting that his father underwent brain surgery after falling off a horse in Mexico six months after leaving the White House – a claim also denied by those who worked with the President. Ron writes that surgeons at a San Diego hospital opened his father’s skull to relieve pressure and then “emerged from the operating room with the news that they had detected what they took to be probable signs of Alzheimer’s disease.” He adds:

No formal diagnosis was given, as far as I know. I have since learned from a doctor who happened to be interning at the hospital when my father was brought in that surgeons involved in his care, in what my informant characterized as ‘shameful’ behavior, violated my father’s right to medical privacy by subsequently gossiping about his condition.

News reports from the time, however, indicate that Reagan was taken to a hospital in Arizona – not California – to treat scrapes and bruises he suffered after falling from the horse. Then, in September of that year, the President visited the Mayo Clinic to have a small hole drilled into his head in order to correct a fluid buildup as a result of his fall.

Ron Reagan, who had a strained relationship with his conservative, Church-going father after declaring himself an atheist (at age 12) and a liberal, is currently a political pundit for MSNBC and is a former talk radio host.

Alzheimer's, Ron Reagan, Ronald Reagan, White House

Atticus Draco

youngest son, Ron Reagan

Translation:
I’M BROKE!
LEFTIES WILL BUY THIS CRAP UP IN A HEARTBEAT!
dhg

Ron,who had a troubled life and was always critical of his Father’s politics,is stretching to make money and continue to shill for an agenda.

It’s a sad story,a son who is living off a dead Father.
Hugo Daun

In other news, rain is wet.
Harry Flashman

So….on an aside, if this is true it shows one thing for certain. Ronald Reagan was more of a man in the grip of that horrid disease that his parasitic son is right now.

And that’s a damned shame.
SWWT

Does he hate his father that much?
Big Eddie

Ordinarily , a son would guard his father’s legacy and reputation . Revolting .
jamesphilip

I don’t believe anything this lying left wing wacko son has to say since I have seen what a rabid hater he is many times before.
He is just like Obama using the Tucson Memorial as a pep rally…
at Ronald Reagan’s Memorial Service, hiw own father’s Memorial, this piece of scum even had the sewer dwelling ability to take some left wing shots at his own father during his comments before the mourners. He is a useless piece of human garbage.
JJ Vachon

It’s certainly no secret to me that Reagan was suffering from Alzheimer’s during his final years as president. I saw it in his speeches, his tone of voice and the way he carried himself. No surprises here!
felixw

As the results make clear, Reagan running on empty was more successful than Obama on a full tank.
Duke

jamesphilip said:
I don’t believe anything this lying left wing wacko son has to say since I have seen what a rabid hater he is many times before.He is just like Obama using the Tucson Memorial as a pep rally…at Ronald Reagan’s Memorial Service, hiw own father’s Memorial, this piece of scum even had the sewer dwelling ability to take some left wing shots at his own father during his comments before the mourners. He is a useless piece of human garbage.

ALL dems are haters. ALL of them!!!! May they rot in hell, the bastards! I hate them all.
Eric

I always thought he was smarter than his father. Reagan was basically propped up in a chair for his last term as President.
BlackWidow

Duke said:
ALL dems are haters. ALL of them!!!! May they rot in hell, the bastards! I hate them all.

So you hate me because he wrote a book?? Amazing
BlackWidow

Eric said:
I always thought he was smarter than his father. Reagan was basically propped up in a chair for his last term as President.

Reagan family was a very dysfunctional family. Nancy pushed those kids away and I believe Ron being the youngest suffered the worst of it.
jooce81

Duke said:
May they rot in hell, the bastards.

no such thing
Latin2

Sad that a son would have to besmirch the memory of his father so he can hang out with his rich Hollywood Liberal friends.
Latin2

This is what happens when you raise your children in the rich Hollywood environment….your children turn out to be idiot assholes, like the majority of Liberals.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ray-Rheault/100000178128873 Langway’s Legacy

There are way more political hacks invested in keeping Pres Reagan’s legacy unsullied than any impilse Ron, Jr has to slander his dad. The “Party of Reagan” (in which he now would be called a RINO), used reflexively by the RW-panderers, doesn’t have the same ring if it comes out that Nancy was the first female Chief Executive.
OxyCon

Way to spit on your dead Father, while at the same time you’re trying to make money off his corpse. Pathetic.
Mykonos08

Well he may not love his fathers political beliefs, but he sure does love to profit off them. Funny how his adoptive brother takes after his old man while Ronnie here is a clear black sheep.
Some_Dude

It makes me sad to read about Reagan’s health problems towards the end of his life, as well as to witness his son candidly discussing such private things apparently to make money.
Hugo Daun

Langway's Legacy said:
Nancy was the first female Chief Executive.

This is true…and so very obvious.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bobby-Levit/1048771827 Bobby Levit

I think Reagans Alzheimers started when Ron jr was born
I would want to forget I had a son like him
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ray-Rheault/100000178128873 Langway’s Legacy

Mykonos08 said:
Well he may not love his fathers political beliefs, but he sure does love to profit off them. Funny how his adoptive brother takes after his old man while Ronnie here is a clear black sheep.

Michael Reagan is an idiot. The only reason he’s in media is his old man. The fact that Ron Jr. disagrees with Michael is hardly a callous attempt for Ron Jr. to profit off the old man, just the opposite.
Eric

I don’t think anything Ron Jr. is saying is anything that everyone doesn’t already know. As far as him not getting along with his father – his sister didn’t get along with his father either.
Just_MC

Apropos nothing, take a look at his picture: http://www.mediaite.com/

Are we sure he’s not really Don Knotts’s son?
George C

Et tu, Ron ?
CarmanK

Ronald Reagan alienated two of his children. He was a phony and they knew it.. The Hollywood persona was just that. He was a hollow man who claimed to be a “church going” man (hypocrite) all the while, demonizing the poor, the unions and the government. KIDS know a lot more than they are given credit for. Ron may have been wrong on some of the facts, but no one can walk in his shoes, have his relationship with his father or express his emotions better than he.” MOMMIE DEAREST” about Joan Crawford had similar accusations, although far more damaging to the actress’ reputation.
TerryDo

Ron Reagan has a “tell all” book coming out, another one of those Inquiring Minds Want to Know, I would imagine.

That President Reagan had the beginnings of Alzheimer’s disease while in the White House, would explain Nancy Reagan’s ferocious defense of the president and her clearance of persons, to whom he spoke with, during his last couple of years in the White House.

She did him proud and was a dedicated wife and an excellent friend.
ganymede

In the Land of Republican Denial, to say anything that besmirches the reputation of St. Reagan brings out the worst from our rightwing culture. It was obvious, and I’m sure that now it’s been brought up, will be proven that Reagan had Alzheimers for much of his second term, if not earlier. He was still a more effective political leader than, say, Bush II, who definitely had qualification shortcomings. Why Reagan will not go down as being a truly great President is what he did to deligitimitize government. He will forever be remembered for his “government is the problem” statements and what he and the Republicans have done since to make sure that government is the problem. Maybe, eventually, it will sink in that the government is us and we should start working together to help us regain the respect we once had for being the originators of modern democracy rather than the decaying empire we’ve become. You must understand that people like me, liberal types, regard what the extreme right is trying to do as the death knell of our wonderful country – a retreat into darkness and barbarism. We are a lot more than greedy bankers, corporations, lobbyists and angry gun happy idiots. We’re just as patriotic as you.
Big Eddie

George C said:
Et tu, Ron ?

Or . Et tutu ?
George C

Big Eddie said:
Or . Et tutu ?

LOL I thought about that one .
emancipate yourself from mental slavery

I never forgot this…..

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/226393/thanksgiving-buckleys/william-f-buckley-jr

or this…..

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1170485/posts

thank you Dark Lord (giggles and respect)
emancipate yourself from mental slavery

caring about what Ron Reagan has to say about politics is like looking forward to Suri Cruise’s review of “Paul Blart – Mall Cop 2″.
emancipate yourself from mental slavery

just to clarify…..
I meant Ron Jr., not Ronaldus Magnus
Powerslave

ganymede said:
In the Land of Republican Denial, to say anything that besmirches the reputation of St. Reagan brings out the worst from our rightwing culture.

Yes, but isn’t that your intent?
Dave Richards

Was Ron Reagan the only person to supposedly see what was happening during the debates? I don’t recall anyone at the time bringing the matter up.

I guess he just has a need to continue to criticize his father.
ChiliPeppersFan

emancipate yourself from mental slavery said:
I never forgot this…..

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/226393/thanksgiving-buckleys/william-f-buckley-jr

or this…..

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1170485/posts

thank you Dark Lord (giggles and respect)

buckley never said if ron jr. was a good dancer or not :(
X-3

Ron Reagan hates his father because he knows he will never be as great as his father, as good as his father, or as smart as his father. Please note the use of the operate term “may.” One would think one would know whether one’s own father suffered from Alzheimer’s.
Hugo Daun

X-3 said:
Ron Reagan hates his father because he knows he will never be as great as his father…

I’ve gotta give credit to Papa Ron for the two greatest accomplishments of his administration…

1.) He reminded us all that jellybeans really ARE delicious, and

2.) He was featured prominently in this AWESOME video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZtWABLuWHo
lessthantolerant

Poor Ronnie still hating Daddy because of his shadow. Move out of it Ronnie and show all your gay friends you too can suck dick!

What a loser!