Republicans and Evangelicals | Ronald Reagan's Double Cross

Republicans and Evangelicals | Ronald Reagan's Double Cross

From Truce - History of the Christian Church by Chris Staron

April 7, 2026 · 36 min · Season 6 · Episode 45

About this episode

This episode explores Ronald Reagan's political decisions and their implications, featuring historian Rick Perlstein.

Give to help Chris make Truce Before he became president, Reagan was the head of the Screen Actors' Guild. When it came down to backing his followers or helping big business, he chose business. The same was true when he fought air traffic controllers. In this way, you can see the influence of Ayn Rand. Reagan grew up as a poor kid, but he later became a famous radio star and movie icon. When his star faded, he became a political guest speaker and found a new path forward. In this episode, we're going to better understand the groundwork for the Reagan presidency. Our special guest is historian and author Rick Perlstein. Sources: Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz US v. Paramount Pictures from Justia article from the Reagan library Reagan: His Life and Legend by Max Boot The Invisible Bridge and Reaganland by Rick Perlstein CNN article on Paul Manafort Reagan's speech at the Neshoba County Fair NPR article on the infamous "welfare queen" Discussion Questions: Why is it valuable to understand Reagan's role in messing with his union? How did his treatment of his union parallel that of his actions against air traffic controllers? What do you think of Reagan and his legacy? Why…

People in this episode

Host: Chris Staron

Guest: Rick Perlstein

Topics covered

  • Ronald Reagan
  • Evangelicals
  • Republican Party
  • Political History
  • Union Relations
  • Ayn Rand Influence

Keywords

  • Reagan
  • Evangelicals
  • Republicans
  • Ayn Rand
  • Union
  • Political History
  • Rick Perlstein

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR, CNN, Screen Actors' Guild, US v. Paramount Pictures

Books & works: Reagan: An American Journey, Reagan: His Life and Legend, The Invisible Bridge, Reaganland

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