He said to his wife, what do you mean change the baby?
I'm a ball player, that's not my line of work.
And she turned around with her hands on her hips and she communicated.
She said, look buster, you lay the diaper out like a dine.
You put second base on home plate, put the baby's bottom on the picture smile,
hook up first and third, slide home underneath.
And if it starts to rain, the game ain't called, you start all over again.
[LAUGH]
So I'm going to communicate.
Now I know that we can't make things right overnight, but we will make them right.
Our destiny is not our fate, it is our choice.
You and your forebearers helped build this nation, now help us rebuild it.
Thank you very much.
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you Mr. President.
Good job Mr. President.
Rise on the move.
Wait, great sir.
Boy, you tripped down memory lane.
Haven't seen him in decades, right with the AFL CIO.
He said the two of you fought with a guy in Hollywood named Sorrel.
Sorrel, her Sorrel.
Yes, he was working for the Soviets trying
to infiltrate Hollywood through the unions.
Roy and I used to call him Sorrel after that.
What's next on the agenda?
[LAUGH]
My mother used to say, everything in life happens for a reason.
Even the most disheartening setbacks.
And in the end, everything, even seemingly random twists of fate,
is all a part of the divine plan.
Details are very sketchy at this moment.
We don't know precisely what happened.
We don't know the sequence.
First of all, the president is safe.
That is, Justice, pardon me please.
Hello, Bob.
I'll wait for somebody in the back room to come up here and tell us we had been
reporting to you that the president was not injured.
The White House has confirmed now just in the last few minutes that
President Reagan has indeed been shot.
He has in communication.
[SOUND] Is there any evidence the assassin was working for the Soviets?
I can't say, Leslie.
Communists have seized power by force in Russia.
Anyone standing in the way of revolution will be removed.
An island of good and hands descended across the continent.
The seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and war.
They spread and go on the evil side of poverty and strife.
They reach their full growth when the hope of a better life has died.
We must keep their hope alive.
The world witnessed a new level of destruction in the first atomic bomb.
This show of atomic force is only a warning of things to come.
Soviet Union has by violence and intimidation,
border the rights of Poland, Ukraine, and
Czechoslovakia holding millions in a prison unable to escape.
The world is focused today on Berlin, where East and West based off.
The Soviet regime looks to close its border in East Germany against those
fleeing the totalitarian crackdown.
Castro's takeover of Cuba secures the Soviets a base for
nuclear aggression aimed at the United States.
Now it is time for this nation to take a clearly leaning role in space
achievement, which in many ways may hold the key to our future on Earth.
You still worried they are listening?
They stopped listening to me a long time ago.
Not me, I'm sending him to see you.
This is no longer a fight for old men.
Perhaps not, but he's our youngest cabinet member in room to be the next president.
He has little experience, but some of us believe he can be the next leader.
However, he will need to learn from our mistakes.
You mean my mistakes?
Try to look at this as an opportunity to make things right.
Does anyone else know he's coming to see me?
Let's hope not.
Hello.
I'm here to see Victor Petrovich.
Please come in.
Thank you.
Thank you for seeing me, comrade.
Comrade?
We don't use that term much any longer.
offered in respect for you in a time that deserves equal respect.
1981.
Who?
Special.
So, what brings the rising star of Mother Russia to visit with an old spy?
To ask just one question of you.
Why?
If I'm about to regain our rightful place in this world, I must know.
Why we failed 30 years ago?
Why we gave up without even a fight?
Why did we allow ourselves to become a mere shadow of our once great nation?
Why, sir, men and I, have already answered that.
Not to my satisfaction.
What makes you think I am more capable?
Because of who you are, comrade.
What you did, and you were there.
Yes, I was there.
I was there.
My official title was "Endless" at the Committee for State Security.
Our beloved KGB.
But I was a psychologist,
profiling those who could become threats to our nation, sometimes decades away.
Some say I was responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union.
I stress this, we must acknowledge it.
Yes, what even covered the actor?
He will win.
I've been warning about this man for many years.
Prepare a fire.
The
I have prepared dozens of these documents.
Yes, I appreciate that.
I'm a Petrovich.
But go prepare another.
Of course.
Yes, I was there.
When I began as an analyst, we had one goal.
Spreading communism to every corner of the globe.
Some countries we invaded with military force,
but we had special plans for the USA.
We sought to break them down from within, strategically infiltrating their society,
even their movie industry.
My assignment was to track and influence their key players,
and to merge their labor unions into one which we could control.
But it's the wrong question you ask.
History is never about when, where, why, how.
It always comes down to who.
You ready?
Yes, sir, I'm ready.
All right.
Ronald Reagan, come give us that Hollywood smile.
And I just happen to have been assigned to the Crusader.
That is what we mockingly called him.
It became my obsession to understand what was beneath the facade.
And I learned to never leave a detail behind as unimportant,
because it is all important.
After we get married, how many sons are we going to have?
How many do you want?
It would be nice to have a full team.
What's your favorite sport?
That's trouble. Football.
And print it.
Nice work, Ron J.
We'll run to the next shot.
That felt pretty natural.
Really? What part?
Thank you.
But we're more than actors. We're siblings. Leaders.
We should be speaking to the important issues of the dead.
Oh, Eddie, give it a rest, will you? Leave that to the writers.
You're still new here, Reagan.
Trust me, the studios control every word I write.
And God help me if I don't write or you don't read what they tell us to.
They're paying the bills, Dalton. They should have some say.
We're doing pretty well, aren't we?
I think so.
You don't get it, Holden. All we are is a mouthpiece to a system.
To a society, a society that ignores the working man. Trust me, it won't last.
What do you mean by that, Dalton?
Exactly what it says.
Honey, come on. Let's go dance.
Just a second, honey. No, no, really. Explain it to me. I'd like to know.
Well, let's just say this whole American dream
thing doesn't exactly apply to everyone equally.
And some of us aren't sitting still for it. We're doing something about it.
Doing what?
Dalton, maybe we should talk about this some other time.
At some point, you're gonna need to pick a side.
Well, not tonight.
Tonight, the only thing I'm gonna pick is my
dance partner, and I'm dancing with my beautiful wife.
If you'll excuse me, fellas.
Eddie.
You're back.
It did not initially appear to be a great concern for us.
He was too busy enjoying his honeymoon. Not
to mention the Hollywood bleeds and glamour.
To understand what made this man unique, I needed to understand the boy.
He grew up in a small town in the middle of America.
His father had a nickname for him. They called him Dutch.
He had experience speaking to crowds at an early age.
As his mother was a child, he was a child. He had experience speaking to crowds at an early age.
As his mother, Nellie, pushed him to read poetry and Bible verses at their church.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray,
seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
forgive their sin, and heal their land."
Are we God's people?
Anybody can be God's people, so long as they choose him.
How did you memorize those verses so fast?
Oh, no. I just read it and remembered.
It's a gift, Dutch. You have to look for those
talents, because God has a purpose for your life.
It's something only you can do.
Unfortunately, Miss Brenda, your dear husband, shame
is thrown to death in the bat of the Guinness Brewery.
No. Before shame is, please tell me he went quick.
No, said the old priest. The old bugger got up three times a piece!
His father, Jack, was the charismatic storyteller, and Dutch idolized him for that.
But he saw that talent drown in the bottom of a bottle.
Jack! Jack, come on.
[Grunting]
Is he being fired again?
There's fire tonight. Wait!
It's dying of big things cooking, Billy.
Where is Jack? We are already late on register.
Not for our children to move yet again.
[Screaming]
[Door opens]
Why does Jack drink so much whiskey?
He makes me forget.
Forget what?
All he wanted to be? All he knows he never will be?
To God have a plan for his life?
Oh, Dutch, of course he does.
Unfortunately, Jack has other plans. For now.
Hey.
Open this. It's from me and Reverend Cleaver.
They call it a "dime-store novel" about a boy with a drunk for a father.
The boy finds God, and he is elected to the American Congress.
Well, you have to be 12.
You may go through membership and confirmation files.
I will answer. But it has to be now.
I read the book, and I want to be like that man.
Ronald Wilson Reagan, I baptize you.
I am your father, son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dutch reads this book.
This book was a roadmap for him of the world where good triumphs over evil.
This book? Here, look.
Rochuen Koppen.
But to find what I was really looking for,
I had to go back to bringing the lifeguard.
Help!
Although he would later claim to have saved 77 lives over those summers,
there was a question as to whether...
Hold on, hold on, I got you. I got you.
Those were all legitimate.
You okay?
Yeah.
Almost there. There you go.
He also learned that performing his duty would not always result in praise.
What the hell are you doing?
I was fine. I tried to make him look like a fool.
I'm sorry.
There she is. There she is.
Hey, hey!
Good practice, gentlemen. Right on, man.
At his university...
Gomez, I got tough news.
He was bringing people together and solving problems.
Hey, coach.
Coach, how come Sal and Palmer aren't traveling with us?
Sir, color. I can see that. Thanks, coach.
Hotel wouldn't take him.
Come on in, boys. Welcome to Hotel Reagan.
Mr. Brown, let's do a speed voice for the help of my son with Dutch.
His brother says he snores.
That there is the Reagan training cable.
Thank you, sir.
Come on in.
No need to come through, Jack.
It's 8 p.m. I'm Dutch Reagan, here now the news.
The new German Chancellor Adolf Hitler
declares that his intentions in rebuilding Germany
are peaceful and will comply with all international agreements.
And it was radio.
Yeah, sure they are.
Through which he began to show his skills.
But I finally traced his disdain for communism.
It fell on Earth.
People are frightened, hungry, divided.
Back to when a dissident of our country visited his church.
State runs and controls everything to the smallest detail.
Your speech, your actions, even your thoughts.
You know what they took away from us first thing?
God.
Church like this, you will not find it in the Soviet Union.
They closed down most of them. And the clergy, many are dead or disappeared.
Americans should know more about the communism because it's coming here.
Freedom is only one generation away from extinction.
And just like that, the seed was planted.
And remember, loose lips sink ships. This is Ronald Reagan.
So until next time, so long and God bless America.
That's a wrap on Reagan today.
Excuse me? Oh, here's some warning. That's a wrap, everyone.
My struggle, boss. Let's have a walk.
Congratulations. Vice President of Screen Actorsville.
I'm impressed.
You know you stepped into a warning's fast, don't you?
How's that?
There's about to be another war right here in Hollywood.
The commie's on one side, the mob on the other.
And you're caught right in the middle, son.
Okay, Jack. Hey, let's get one thing straight, okay?
I'm not gonna do any union busting for you just because I'm on your payroll.
It's a conflict of interest for me.
It's not about busting up the unions.
What is this new group this month?
The Conference for the Studio Unions, Herb Sorrell, he's the commie.
Yeah.
They're not just talking strike. They're talking about taking over all the unions.
If it's a turf war, just let them work it out, that's all.
They're not gonna work it out. They're
gonna fight it out, and that's when you come in.
The actors are the biggest union. If they go to
Sorrell, I'm telling you right now, the commie's win.
That ain't happening here.
Well, look, I don't feel comfortable getting into the middle of something.
Do you think you're gonna be a leading man forever?
You need to face the facts, son. This war took the best years of your life.
You got, what, five years of smiling for
the camera until they put you out to pasture?
Thanks for the pep talk, Jack.
War.
Do you make a difference?
A real difference.
[SIGHS]
The movies are a platform that we as
actors are proud and privileged to be a part of.
We are the face in the lifeblood of American movies.
And so we must be vigilant and make ourselves aware of others they may seek to use
our platform to use us for their own purposes.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Was it something I said?
I'm just curious. Maybe an actor or a politician.
Jane, not here. Not now. Please.
If you put as much work into your career as you do
making your speeches, you'd have an Oscar by now.
Jane, this is Zach. This is our union.
And a big vice president of screen actors killed us like a gift from God. I really
feel like I can do something that matters here.
Was there anything worse than an actor with a cause?
Kill your career if you must, Ronnie, but spare me your damn speeches.
You are an actor. That is your job. Not politics.
No. What do you mean no? Higher wages, better working conditions. That's what we
all want. That's what we're all going for.
You want to shut it all down. What is it that you really want?
One union and unite it. Look, you don't want to go to war with us, Reagan.
But what nobody knew was that Reagan was an FBI informant. His code name T-10.
And he was exposing a growing influence in Hollywood.
Mr. Warner, can you provide the name of the leader of
the organization, the Tempe Team to infiltrate the studio?
His name is Sorel. Herb Sorel.
We're not joining you, Herb.
Put it down. It's okay.
You don't get it, do you? We own this town.
You don't own me. You don't own them.
You want to take a vote right now, go ahead. Let's
put it to a vote. See what happens. See what happens.
Mr. Hayden, in your opinion, why weren't the communist efforts successful?
There was just one problem. They ran into the
board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild.
In particular, Ronald Reagan was a one-man battalion against this thing.
Let's do a break.
As a citizen, I would not like to see any
political party outlawed on the basis of its ideology.
Democracy is strong enough to stand up for itself against the end roads of any
ideology, no matter how much we may disagree with it.
Because I still believe, Mr. Chairman, that democracy can handle it.
He had shut us down. He was clever in his message that it
was okay to be communist, but not while being paid by us.
And cut! That's lunch, everybody!
You were great, didn't you? Sure. Let's grab the bucket.
I'm here.
While his wife's career was skyrocketing, he was
reduced to sidelines, and their marriage deteriorated.
And to break more his damaged heart, their third
child, Christine, died the very day she was born.
How's my son?
I lost a child. Marriage, a career. How do you think your boy is?
You know, Nellie, I think I kind of missed the boat on that whole purpose thing.
Maybe I'll just jack all over again.
No, Dutch. You're not your father.
Just remember to listen to that small, soft voice, the one that you can't hear,
unless you're alone and quiet, and he has your full attention.
Remember who you are, and whom you serve.
Yes, Sandy?
Can you give an actress five minutes?
Of course.
Miss Davis?
Hello. I'm Nancy Davis.
Hello, Nancy Davis. I'm Ron Reagan.
Yes, I know.
How about a cup of coffee?
Oh, sure.
Have a seat.
I'm afraid I've been a pest to your secretary, but I persist when it's important.
Cream, sugar?
Oh, well, sure. I'm black.
Oh. Well, how can I help you, Nancy Davis?
Well, I'm listed as a signer on a letter of support for two
communist sympathizers, but I never signed any such letter.
There's another Nancy Davis.
Oh, I see. Well, the easiest thing to do is just
change your name, and it happens all the time in Hollywood.
Oh, no. No, I cannot do that. No. My name is very important to me. It's my family.
Oh, of course. And family's important.
Yes.
Very important.
So, I guess there's only one thing left to do, and that
is to launch an exhaustive and detailed investigation.
Well, of course, I've retained an attorney.
Oh, there won't be any need for that. We can knock this out over dinner.
Excuse me?
Yes. We can discuss it then, but I can't be late. I,
yes. I have a movie studio called tomorrow morning.
Oh, well, I'll have to check my date book.
Goodie.
Yes.
Yes. Um...
Well, well, I think I can manage it, but I have an early call too.
Well, then it's a date.
Yes. Okay.
Okay.
Goodbye for now.
Goodbye, Taylor.
Okay, Poppy. Thanks. I'm gonna take care of that.
Well, it looks like we've shut the place down.
Yes, we did here.
Thank you, Joseph.
Miss Davis, I'm gonna get on this first thing in
the morning, and I'll make all the calls myself.
Your name will be off that list.
Just like that.
So, um, when you're not acting or being SAG
president, what do you like to do with your time, Mr. Reagan?
I like the outdoors.
Mm-hmm.
I play golf.
And I love riding horses.
No.
Yes. Do you ride?
Sure, I do.
You do?
Mm-hmm.
Well, there's nothing like a relationship with a horse, is there?
They're beautiful animals.
Mm-hmm.
Oh!
You look good on the horse.
Oh, thank you.
I have a confession to make.
Oh, what's that?
I don't ride horses.
Really?
You could have fooled me.
Oh.
Well, it's beautiful up here.
Yes, it is.
I grew up a million miles from L.A.
Yes, you know, I did my first location shoot here, in fact.
Really?
Yes.
I jumped on the back of that horse, looked
around at all this, and said, "Well, I'm in heaven."
Oh.
Yeah.
It's heaven.
You know why?
I have a confession to make of my own, Nancy.
Uh, I'm what you call damaged goods.
Now, I'm divorced, I got kids, I haven't had a decent role in years.
I'm just about broke.
How's that for a cup one?
We're all damaged goods, Ronnie.
What's next for you?
I mean, what do you want out of this life?
I don't know.
I used to have big ambitions, dreams.
Now I... I don't know, I just want to do something good in this world.
Make a difference.
I think you've done that.
I like to make a difference, too.
But I have figured something out, Ronnie.
What's that?
It's really hard to make a difference in this life.
When you have to do it alone.
Are you sure you want to go?
Do you know, this is not exactly an Academy of work stuff.
Well, you know we don't like to be apart, and I love to watch my husband work.
I know, he works work.
Bye, Patty. Mr. Rankin, your agent's on the line.
Look, Lou, if I go out there, my career, it's...
It's dead.
Lou, listen to me.
I'm not going out there.
It is half-blue ribbon time.
What do you have?
I'll have a half-blue ribbon.
I'll take a half-sponzo.
Oh, yeah.
Looks like it's been time for bonzo, folks.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, and now the half-blue ribbon dancers.
Ladies, we happen to have an extra smoke for a clown.
Thank you.
This season, I'm sending all my friends Chester Fields.
Meanwhile, his career as movie star continued to fade.
Wow, I could have had a V8.
Oh, Ronnie, that's a super smooth shave.
That's because I used Gillette.
Soothe your skin with campo, phanique, antiseptic powder.
The movies are at home, honey. They're the perfect snack.
Icy, the coldest drink in town at a sweet low price.
Come on, Coleman's. Light my fire.
He continued to focus on his role as the president of Screen Actors Guild.
Well, he did quite well, actually.
But the movie opportunities started to evaporate.
Yes, he was a B movie star. This is well known.
But what does this have to do with losing our motherland?
Communism is not the motherland.
They the motherland.
Tergen Yev, Lev Tostoy, Chekhov, that's the motherland.
The motherland.
Is he a...
I don't know, but...
I can't.
Hello?
Oh, no.
Ronnie?
Thank you, Lord, for my mother.
Take care of her.
I know you will.
Your gut and faith will serve and test. Come on.
While he mourned the loss of his mother and continued to struggle with his career,
the world was passing him by.
The United States and Soviet Union now face off in a new Cold War.
Nuclear retaliation looms.
The purpose of these bases can be none other
than to provide a nuclear strike capability
against the Western Hemisphere.
President Kennedy's blockade stops the advance of nuclear weapons into Cuba.
Movements across Germany have been stopped
as the East Germans built a war overnight,
separating not only the country, but Davis and family.
He became host of TV show for appliance company.
He toured across the country, meeting factory workers and giving speeches.
He was like politician with no party.
So he decided to set his sights on something else.
Us.
He devoured books about communism, espionage, our takeover of Eastern Europe,
and the construction of the Berlin Wall.
You know, our bed's a lot more comfortable.
Well, unless you prefer, uh, political chambers to me.
Well, you know that's not true.
Come to bed, honey. It's late.
You know, all they have are missiles and oil.
If we get them to spend money they don't have, they can't support themselves.
The Soviets.
We've been going about this all wrong.
We don't have to match their missile for missile.
All we have to do is just keep up the pressure.
We have deeper pockets than they do.
In the year I thought I married an actor.
Well, you can always talk to Dick Nixon, President Kennedy,
or any of your political friends.
But why is it that my husband seems to know what's gonna happen before they do?
Well, I was a lifeguard at a pub with a swimming hole on a river.
And I studied that river.
And I learned how to read the currents.
Not just the ones on the surface,
but also the ones that were deep underneath the water, flowing way under.
And I got good at it.
I knew people were in trouble before they did.
Moon, thank you for bringing your brother up here on such short notice.
It wasn't easy. He's not a fan of flying.
Well, we'll remedy that. Thank you for coming, Mr. Reagan.
Thanks for having me, Mr. Tuttle.
Now, we understand that you jumped the aisle and switched parties.
Well, my brother and I both.
We came of age under FDR. Our dad, Jack, he was a huge fan.
And we were proud to be New Deal Democrats.
So why did you leave him?
I didn't. They left me.
How do you feel about campaigning for Goldwater?
He's gonna get shellacked in November. No way he takes the White House.
Mr. Tuttle's right. He can't beat LBJ.
I'm curious, Ron. What would you say is the issue of our time?
No question about it. Communism and the Soviet Union.
Domestic issues is what I'm more curious about.
What's more domestic than survival, Mr. Tuttle?
Communism is the natural enemy of freedom.
It won't stop attacking us from the outside or the inside.
And it's spreading around the world while we wring our hands trying to negotiate.
What did I tell you guys? He's not just a pretty face.
Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, Ron? Get in the game.
Support Goldwater and then run for office.
Well, he'd win State Senate and a landslide. State Senate. How's that sound?
Well, I played his senator once.
But I never played a governor.
17 years after I had begun following him, he
made his debut on American political stage.
Well, I'd like to suggest to you there is no such
thing as left or right. There's only up or down.
I believe that the issue is confronting us across party lines.
Now, one side of this campaign has been telling us that the issues of this election are not the same. The line has been used. We've never had it so good.
Somewhere a perversion is taking place.
Should Moses have told the children of
Israel to live in slavery under the Pharaohs?
Should Christ have refused to cross?
Should the Patriots have thrown down their guns
and refused to fire the shot heard round the world?
Should the people of Israel not be able to get the shot? Should the people of Israel not be able to get the shot? Should the people of Israel not be able to get the shot? Heard round the world?
You and I have the courage to say to our enemies,
"There is a price we will not pay, a point beyond which they must not advance."
We'll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth.
Or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years darkness.
When great forces are on the move in the
world, we learn that we are spirits, not animals.
There's something going on in time and space, beyond time and space,
which whether we like it or not, spells duty.
You and I have a rendezvous with destiny.
[applause]
Mr. Goldwater lost decisively, but the crusader had arrived,
and he was putting us on notice that he was not afraid to take us on.
Hello.
Hi, it's you.
Well, yes.
What are you doing here?
Did I win something?
No.
We're canvassing the neighborhood, and I'm
running for governor, and I would like your vote.
Of course. Of course.
Now I'm embarrassed. I forgot your name.
Do his initials help, R.R.?
[gasps]
Eddie! Roy Rogers is here!
And he's running for governor!
He was on the U.S. stage now, but my colleague still refused to take him seriously.
After all, is it?
What could state governor do to us?
[applause]
The police are overburdened. There's just too many of them.
Where are these kids' parents?
They're not all students. Most of the
agitators, they don't even know what they're protesting.
They're just doing it to do it, and they're getting outside help.
They've issued a new set of demands.
Of course they have.
They want you to present them to a person.
The National Guard, they're on standby. They can be on site within an hour.
That's going federal. There's going federal ramifications for
that. Communities, schools, especially the press.
They want to talk. Let's go talk.
Governor Reagan! Make love, not war!
But it looks like him. He can't do either right now.
Bill's going to meet us inside.
Just lead the way.
Please, go! Please, go!
We want to hear you speak openly about this to the state of California.
Well, what do you think I'm doing here?
If you would come out against a police escalation, they might listen.
When did you ever stand up in front of your students and beg them not to do this?
They told you that they were going to destroy the university
and you sought to go ahead with this construction.
But they offered to negotiate.
Negotiate what?
All this happened, professor.
The very first time that some of you who are old enough to know better
let students think that they had the right
to choose which laws they were going to obey
as long as it was done in the name of social protest.
I've had it.
I call it the National Guard.
(crowd cheering)
Shh!
(crowd laughing)
The protesters pushed him hard, but pushed them harder.
He was controversial governor, but limited in what he could accomplish,
at least as far as the things he cared most about, like us.
He enraged many sympathetic to our calls,
but he also inspired many fanatics who would go
to great lengths to get the glimpse of their hero.
Come on.
Who's this?
Young man, why are you in my yard?
Hey, Mrs. Gump, I'm Dana.
I'm head writer for Youth for Reagan, and they're shutting us down.
I just want five minutes for the gun.
Oh, for heaven's sake.
No, I'll be respectful.
Scouts on. I won't swear or throw anything, and I don't burn buildings.
No, the problem is, is that the governor is on a very tight schedule,
and he won't give you five minutes.
He'll give you an hour.
Sweet!
No, it's not sweet. You need to go home.
Please, just call the office, and I'll make sure you get an appointment, okay?
Ready? Is everything all right?
There you go.
These young people spent the night in our yard.
I just want to talk five minutes.
Well, you look tired. How about a cup of coffee?
Oh, yeah, it is.
Thank you. I'm sorry. I mean, go.
So the politician says, "Well, what did I do to deserve this?"
St. Peter said, "Well, we didn't know what to do with you
because you're the first politician we've had up here."
Nellie had been gone for a decade,
but the crusader managed to find others who shared her fundamentalist beliefs.
And one evening, our surveillance picked up
one of the strangest exchanges I ever heard,
involving a pop star, a preacher, and a prophecy.
If you continue to walk uprightly before me,
you will dwell at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Amen.
(COUGHS)
Well, there is something.
All right, well, we should probably head out.
Yes, yes. Thank you, Governor.
Thank you for coming.
You can't possibly believe this.
Doesn't matter if I believe it.
Did he believe it?
Who knows?
(SIGHS)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Well, Bill, there she is.
688 acres and all.
That sounds about enough.
How much are they asking?
Too much for an honest politician.
Well, it's nothing like stomping around in your own piece of dirt,
work and sweat.
Think about your next move.
(CHUCKLES)
Next move.
No, Détente, unfortunately, won't last.
The Soviets, they're here to stay.
There's nothing a retired governor can do about the Soviets.
Well, you got a point. Not much.
But a president.
Now, he can do a thing or two.
(CHUCKLES)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
So, multiply that by a million, double that,
and that's only the surface of how deep it really is.
It being my love for you,
I really love you much more than that.
I-T-W-W-W.
In the whole wide world.
Reminds me of one of your old movies.
I should have Paris all in Minshuler.
Well, Nancy Pence, I can roll back and get you one.
(LAUGHS)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Bill thinks I should run for president.
Oh, Bill thinks so, does he?
What? You think I'm too old?
Oh, you look 20 years younger than you are.
Your mind is sharp as attack.
Well, you know I can't do this without your support.
You'll always have my support.
I know I can't just let you chop wood for the rest of your life.
Why not?
(LAUGHS)
I've actually been thinking about what that preacher said by the book.
You thought he was a kook.
Still do.
But maybe he was onto something.
You just made me to save us.
(MUSIC PLAYING) (SIGHS)
Good evening.
Tonight's showdown might be the most thrilling convention we've ever seen.
It's a true toss-up between the incumbent president
and a serious challenger from within his own party.
Take pictures. He can talk to...
What?
Take pictures. If he can talk to Drew, Pennsylvania might go our way.
Okay. I heard James Baker had Pennsylvania locked for force.
He said they're in play.
We lost Oregon.
You have enough.
You know, Indiana, Florida, or Pennsylvania.
They have to break our way.
How about you?
I think you need to change that hat.
Here you go.
Oh, that's gonna look good. I'll get rid of it.
Okay. We may need to rethink that strategy.
Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, I'll get Schweinker to connect with Drew
about Pennsylvania. I'll circle back to Ohio.
Okay. I will take Florida and Mike, why don't you go talk with Rich
and Marilyn about Indiana, okay?
Hey, hey. We gotta win one for the gimber.
Huh? Come on!
One, two, three!
Ready? Ready, go!
For the next president of the United States, California cast all 167
for Governor Raul Vega!
Thank you, California.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania cast 93 votes for Gerald Paul.
The West Virginia rally presents its vote.
On behalf of our party's candidate for the presidency,
20 votes for Gerald R. Moore!
There is no defeat more bitter than a political defeat,
especially if you think it is your last chance.
And right now I predict that the American people are going to stay that night.
Jerry, you've done a good job. Keep right on doing it.
Ford stole it, sir. He was handing out ambassadorships
and rides on Air Force One like candy to babies.
Backstage politics.
Nah.
What I really wanted, Mike, was to be the guy
who finally got to say "yet" to the Soviets.
Guess where's the gun, Will?
Democrats and Republicans presented a united front against us for 30 years,
but we sensed an opportunity with the election of Jimmy Carter.
Then, in 1979, my worst fears began to take shape.
It is a crisis of confidence.
Yes, Jimmy, it's a crisis of confidence, all right.
Are you listening to this?
We are the greatest country in the world and we have just forgotten it.
Like I didn't see this coming.
It's okay to say it, Ronnie.
Okay, I'll say it.
I want to run again.
What do you think about that?
If I can do it all again.
The public scrutiny, the attacks on your character, all the lies.
But mainly, I want you to be happy.
Well, you already made me the happiest man in the world.
I've had to share you my whole life, but that's what I signed up for.
And who I fell in love with.
It's not over for you, Ronnie.
You know what you have to do.
And this time, we'll win it.
No, Mr. President, we don't have double digit
inflation because the people are living too well.
We have double digit inflation because government is living too well.
Our first priority must always be world peace.
The use of force is always the last resort.
These are the kind of elements of a national
health insurance important for the American people.
Governor Reagan, again, typically, is against such a proposal.
There you go again.
Next Tuesday, you will all go to the polls and make a decision.
And when you make that decision, I think it would be well to ask yourself,
are you better off than you were four years ago?
Is it easier to buy things in the store than it was four years ago?
Is there more or less unemployment in the country?
Is America as respected throughout the world?
Do you feel as safe?
Are we as strong as we were four years ago?
If your answers are yes, then I think it is obvious who you will vote for.
But if you don't agree, then may I suggest another choice?
And will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend.
The Constitution of the United States.
So help you God.
So help me God.
Congratulations, sir.
We will again be the exemplar of freedom and the
beacon of hope for those who do not now have freedom.
As for the enemies of freedom, they will be reminded
that peace is the highest aspiration of the American people.
We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it,
but we will not surrender for it now or ever.
James Baker, Whipsar button 76 working for Ford, now he's chief of staff.
That's why he's chief of staff.
Ed, someone who agrees with you 80% of the time is an 80% friend, not a 20% enemy.
Mr. Speaker.
Mr. President, congratulations.
Welcome to the pigs.
I'm glad you enjoyed tonight because tomorrow we go to work.
Well, I've been well briefed on you, Tiv. I've
been told I'd better get a pretty good head start.
That's very Irish, have you?
Yes.
You plan on going 10 rounds every day. That's how we do things here.
All right. Just remember, every day has a 6 p.m.
What do you mean by that, sir?
Well, after six, we're not political enemies. We're just two Irishmen having beer.
A deal.
Ladies and gentlemen, the first lady and president of the United States of America.
Would you do me a favor?
Everyone's here for you.
Excited for a new tomorrow.
Oh, they're just watching me dance with the prettiest girl in the world.
You know, they thought about this moment a lot.
After 76, I just didn't think it would happen.
I knew it. I knew. I always knew.
I always knew.
Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States.
Thank you. Thank you.
Everybody just be seated.
Good morning, everyone. Good morning.
Now, the father can't find his little optimistic son, so he calls out to him,
and the little boy pops out of that huge pile of manure, says, "Yes, Dad."
The father says, "What are you doing in there?"
And the little boy says, "Well, with all this manure,
I know there's got to be a pony in there somewhere."
Anyway, that was my father's favorite joke.
And ladies and gentlemen, we have a pony ourselves, and it's the American people,
and we're going to do everything for them that we can.
We just have to dig them out.
He was the president for one half hour before Iran released the American hostages
they had been holding for a year and a half.
It was morning in America, as his supporters will say.
But in just a few days, that morning nearly disappears as quickly as it had come.
You and your forebears built our nation, now help us rebuild it.
Thank you very much.
Now, I like a brighter, more than a yellow. You know, Ronnie's must.
What?
It's all right, ma'am. Your husband wasn't hit.
Get me there.
No, I can't do that.
Get me there now, or I'm walking.
We're in party three.
Right here under his arm.
You told me he wasn't hit.
Where was he hit?
I don't know. They're looking for the bullet.
And Jim Brady was shot in the head.
Miss Reagan, I'm sorry. No one's permitted
back there. You don't want to see him in this.
He has to know I'm here.
Yeah. Oh, yes.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Give him another reason to be single. He's lost up there on his blood all night.
Okay. Get a print.
Where? Where's Nancy?
Ronnie.
I forgot to duck.
Try not to duck.
You're gonna be okay.
Mm-hmm.
You're gonna be okay?
Mrs. Reagan.
Good evening, Mr. President.
Please tell me you're Republicans.
Today, Mr. President, we are all Republicans.
I need your hands.
I brought you jelly beans.
I knew you'd want them when you woke up.
I had to believe you were waking up.
I don't do so good without you.
I should have been there. I always walk on your left side.
No. No.
The family and you.
No.
Boy, you don't do anything to get that damn tax cut.
I left specific orders through Democrats within 100 yards.
You'll have to grin and barret.
How you doing, pal?
Well, I don't recommend getting shot.
No.
You don't have to think there's...
Think there was a reason for all this.
There's a big job left to be done.
And whatever time I have left, it...
...belongs to him.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall see a no evil for thou art with me.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.
And I won't dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
You know, you may have been an actor if it wasn't for that amount of years.
Well, I'm not a actor. I'm an actor if it wasn't for that amount of years.
Well, there were too many leading men.
It should have killed him, and it almost did.
Most people don't know how close it came.
Did we do it?
No. We didn't do it.
Which isn't to say that some version of a
similar plan didn't exist in a drawer somewhere.
As it certainly does to this day.
You're who? I'm Dana. I start work today.
Right. Is this Knopfseger's idea of a joke?
I suggest you leave before the Secret Service get here.
The Secret Service let me in. I mean, you're Mike Deaver, right?
A speechwriter for the President of the United States.
Dana, you're finally here.
Just fluent, sir. I don't even have a place to stay yet.
Did not spend an hour in the long, Mr. President.
So, you know this gentleman?
Yes. We go way back.
Soviet grain report.
Nice nap. I'll trade ya.
Well, Dana, I want you to hurry up and
settle in, because we have a lot of work to do.
We wear suits here.
Right on, Mike.
Would you maybe have an extra I could borrow before payday?
Let me know.
First quarter numbers are below expectations.
Unemployment hasn't budged.
I think we should reexamine some of the revenue enhancers on the table, sir.
Revenue enhancers?
R- Is that what you're calling tax increases?
These days in Washington, I told the American people that I would lower taxes.
So if that's what you really think, then what
the hell are you doing in my administration?
Mr. President, we simply have to balance this budget.
You know, I learned a thing or two about economics.
I had majored in economics at Eureka College.
Now, it wasn't your Ivy League college.
But there I learned about Ibn Khaldun.
He was a ruler in Egypt.
And he had a philosophy that really hit home
when I was in the 94% tax bracket in Hollywood.
And that is, when taxes are low, people have more money.
And when people have more money, they buy more things.
Now, these things have to be made by other people
who have to hire more people to help them do that.
And ask for taxes.
Well, the good Lord only asked for 10%.
Why should Uncle Sam ask for more?
Mr. President, the air traffic controllers are threatening a strike.
Well, can they do that?
No, sir.
Legally?
Essential public service. They have all signed a no strike contract.
A contract is a contract.
That's the way I learned it.
They forfeited their jobs.
If he was willing to risk chaos in his own country,
we could only imagine what he might do to us.
The Soviets are conducting full exercises right out in the open.
The German border is quiet, but it looks
like the movie is a brand new SS-20s by rail.
That's confirmed. They're 20 miles east of Berlin.
Each rail car contains a ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead.
John, how many nuclear missiles do they have?
35,000.
Officially. And us?
25 and change, sir.
So roughly 60,000 nuclear warheads pointed at each other.
Each one can take out a city.
That's about the size of it, Mr. President.
So while we have been, over the past 10 years, reducing our military,
they've been building up their arsenal and thumbing their nose this at us,
violating every treaty that we have with them.
It's not possible, sir. It's exactly what's happening.
And what have we done about it except take a picture of it?
Well, after you fire off the first thousand or
so, there's no one around to keep score, is there?
It's insane.
One little mistake. Somebody has too much vodka.
None of this matters.
Thousands were gathered in St. Peter's Square at
the Vatican today, cheering the arrival of the Pope.
But soon, gunshots turned the celebration into
horror as the Pope collapsed into the arms of his aides.
He's in surgery. The official story is
that he was grazed, but it's worse than that.
They gave him his last rights.
What do we know?
John Paul's from Poland under Soviet control.
Polish people want self-rule and democracy.
The Solidarity Movement is taking over the nation.
The Pope is with them, basically giving Moscow the middle finger because he can't.
The home land is basically the second coming. The writing's on the wall.
This comes from Moscow via Bulgaria, Mr. President. This is KGB all the way.
Well, that doesn't make sense, Bill. They're either going to create a martyr or
they're going to unleash the Catholic Church against themselves.
They're scared.
The Pope lived.
And now, the Crusader and the Pope share the
bond of having survived an Assassin's Bullet.
And his new ally just happened to have a billion followers.
Get out of Poland. Get out of Afghanistan. Throw away
ten years of treaties and eliminate all nuclear missiles.
As they say in America, Briazhnev's mind was blown.
He scribbles a personal note on a yellow paper. The President of the United States.
Now we know we shot him.
Go on state, department.
Thank you.
And now, enter his new Secretary of State, George Shultz, the Tiger Man.
The who?
He had a tattoo of a tiger on his ass. How do you know that? KGB.
We'll just get this little ceremony over with. This
is what I used to quit smoking back in the sixties.
Oh, I knew it. I knew it.
What?
Well, you can tell a lot about a man's character. By
if he chooses just one color or if he grabs a handful.
I see. What does it say about my character?
It says that you're focused, you're determined, and that you're not easily
distracted. You're going to do great here.
Okay then.
America has hired us to do two things. Let
them be prosperous again and keep them safe.
Peace through strength. May I speak freely?
I expect it.
Clarity is power. Now I believe you are clear in these objectives.
Now the rest of the world needs to be.
As long as those objectives are your objectives.
They are, Mr. Clark, which isn't to say that I won't push
back or voice opinions if I see conflict in those objectives.
That's exactly why I chose you.
Peace through strength is just a bit opaque. I need you to articulate a message
about the Soviets that I can take to the world.
Well, that's simple. We win, they lose. And you can quote me.
Well, that's a clear message.
Let the boy that's been threatening you. Every day.
He'll be there tomorrow too. That's what bullies do until you stand up to them.
It's time for you to settle this Dutch. Go on.
Get him.
It's a little soft.
We'll get out there, sir.
Dana, a word.
Well, I see you still have one foot in California.
I am about to start the biggest war of this century. Maybe of all time.
And I'm not going to fire a single shot. I'm going to fight it with words.
And they have to count every single one of
them. So say what you mean. Mean what you say.
I need the guy who camped out in my yard. You understand?
And let us pray for the salvation of those who live in that totalitarian darkness.
Let us pray that they will discover the joy of knowing God.
And let us be aware that while their unelected leaders preach the supremacy of the
state, declare its omnipotence over individual man and predict its eventual
domination of all the peoples of the earth,
they are the focus of evil in the modern world.
It was C.S. Lewis, who in his magnificent screw-taped letters wrote,
"The greatest evil is not done in those sordid dens of crime that Dickens loved to
paint, nor is it done in the concentration camps and labor camps.
And then we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered, clear, carpeted,
warmed, and well-lighted offices by quiet men with white collars and cut
fingernails who do not need to raise their voices
but speak in soothing tones of brotherhood and peace.
Beware the temptation to ignore the facts of
history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire."
I think the president's words were a little
irresponsible. The last thing we need to do is heat this cold war up.
What is wrong with these people? I mean, whose side are they on anyway?
You can't pay any attention to that.
But I have to. Most of the country is paying attention to them.
Well, if you think that got their own decent and wide, you just wait.
We have prevented nuclear war for more than three decades. Recently, however, it
has become clear we cannot rely solely on offensive retaliation to maintain peace.
I call upon the scientific community, those who gave us nuclear weapons, to turn
their great talents now to the cause of mankind and world peace.
To build this defensive missile shield, rendering these
weapons impotent and obsolete. If we take these measures...
He got the idea from a movie he starred in in 1940. And
with his economy booming, he now had the money to spend.
But it didn't exist. Small detail.
Small detail?
Let's just say he was characteristically optimistic.
So he was lying.
Eat something.
It didn't exist. It was science fiction. But the missiles...
The missiles did.
Doesn't matter. The Crusader was making his move. And we knew it.
And then something happened.
Like what?
Canadian Airlines, you are in Soviet airspace. Move out, now.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
A civilian airline.
CIA spine plane.
They were warned.
Repeat that--
It was a commercial flight.
269 people are dead, Anatoly, including
one of our congressmen.
George.
You crossed the line.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Tensions between the Cold War adversaries
continue to escalate.
President Reagan called it an act of barbarism.
NATO forces remain on alert across Europe.
Many are concerned at home and abroad
that these actions bring the United States
and the Soviet Union a step closer
to a direct military conflict.
And three weeks later, our radar systems
detected the unthinkable.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Tringering terrifying responsive action.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
We have confirmation on this.
So these are the opposite sides.
That's 18 million American lives.
I think we're launching, sir.
Prepare for DEFCON1.
I need confirmation.
Mr. President, if this is real, we
won't have time for confirmation.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
We need a decision.
[MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
They're reporting, sir.
They're standing down.
[GROANING]
Looks like a flock of geese triggered a positive radar hit.
[GROANING]
The Cold War was in full swing.
The Crusader, he knew he had to keep the pressure on us,
but making sure there were no more mistakes.
But before he could resume his crusade against us,
he would have to face his voters.
And let's just say not everyone thought he was right choice.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Could he eat two shoes?
[MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Mr. Mondale's poll numbers have been steadily rising.
Concerns have been raised as the president has stumbled,
appearing tired in the last debate.
President Reagan could very well end up a one-term president.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
So how do you adjust for inflation
between the 6% and 12% projections?
Well, you know that we're the abbing of 4 million--
3 million new jobs, and the rate of unemployment being--
[MUSIC PLAYING]
OK.
Stop.
I need a break.
Mr. President, how do you really feel that we just
need to do this all over again?
No, I've had enough, Ed.
Say, Mr. President, I forgot.
What's your favorite movie?
"The Sound of Music."
What do you say you and Mrs. Reagan get together
and watch it tonight?
Relax.
Calm your minds.
We'll be back in the sound tomorrow, and we'll be ready to go.
That's a great idea.
Well, God closes the door.
He opens the window, doesn't he?
[LAUGHTER]
Gentlemen, instead of cramming his head with useless numbers,
why don't you let Ronnie be Ronnie?
OK?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Uh-huh.
Marta?
Yes, Father?
You tell me.
Fridrick told you, Father.
We were very picky.
I've forgotten you very picky.
[CHEERING] We picked thousands of pieces.
[CHEERING]
What kind of better piece?
Blueberries.
Yes, yes.
[CHEERING]
It's a little early in the morning.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
And you're small, Barry.
Mr. Truitt, your question to President Reagan.
Mr. President, I want to raise an issue that I think
has been lurking out there for two or three weeks
and cast it specifically in national security terms.
You already are the oldest president in history,
and some of your staff say that you were tired
after your most recent encounter with Mr. Mondale.
I recall yet that President Kennedy
had to go for days on end with very little sleep
during the Cuba Missile Crisis.
Is there any doubt in your mind that you would be able to
function in such circumstances?
Not at all, Mr. Truitt.
And I want you to know that also I will not make age
and issue in this campaign.
I will not, for political purposes,
exploit my opponents' youth and inexperience.
[LAUGHTER]
[CHEERING]
And with that one thrust of wit, he turned the tide.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
USA!
USA! [MUSIC PLAYING]
But do you want to head up that detail when we travel?
So I'd be riding horses with the president.
Giddy up.
OK.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Unlike other presidents, the Crusader
was in no rush to meet with us.
This created a problem.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Here's the latest.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
It's-- it's so good.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
How can I talk to them if they keep dying on me?
I shouldn't.
We are starving for energy, Ron.
And we've got to get it somewhere.
And we can't afford what we've been paying.
But buying it from the Soviet Union,
you know that that money is going directly
into a missile pointed at you.
Mr. President, give them an alternative.
The Saudis have agreed to increase oil production,
as long as we buy it from them, not the Russians.
And if we can get our friends to go along with us--
And you can sell this at home to your Texans.
It'll drop oil to under $10 a barrel.
Oh, I'll take a political hit for it.
That's for sure.
And Texans love to make money.
Yes, they do.
We all do.
But they love their freedom even more.
First, the evil empire, now this.
You're certainly not looking to make friends.
No, I'm not.
But perhaps you should.
I met then your man, Gorbachev.
He has a very different kind of Russian.
And I told him you were a very, very different kind
of an American.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[INAUDIBLE]
All right.
[INAUDIBLE]
Good evening.
President Reagan is in Geneva tonight,
ready for the Gorbachev summit.
The Baron is honored to have you stay at his home
on this occasion.
Thank you.
Please let him know how much we appreciate it.
The goldfish.
It seems that the Baron's son is very attached to us.
It needs to be fed twice every day.
Well, I will do it personally.
[LAUGHTER]
There are a few things I can do myself, you know.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I've arrived.
Oh, then.
Yes.
Here we go.
Oh, no.
Kotov.
Below freezing out there.
The whole world is watching this meeting, George.
He needs to look his best, and that overcoat is not working.
Well, you guys are in charge of policy,
but even the leader of the free world has a boss.
She's in charge of presentation.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Before the summit had begun, we found ourselves already
at a disadvantage as the president looked better
than the general secretary.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
The Crusader took an all-instrad,
hearing it for what it was.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
Mandatory messaging from the party.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
As I see it, we don't mistrust each other because we're armed.
We're armed because we mistrust each other.
But I think that we both agree on the most important thing.
A nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
He's definitely ambiguous.
It's perfectly clear there's nothing ambiguous about it.
You can't come out ahead as you usually do.
Violations after violation.
So one and two.
Violations.
This is nothing more than your militarizing space.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I saw a gentle smile.
It never left his face.
He was disarming.
But still, he was the zealot that called us an evil empire.
We could not let our guard down.
You know, I used to do a little acting a couple of hundred years
ago back in Hollywood.
Let me show you how we used to handle this sort of thing.
Take two.
Hello, McHale.
My name's Iran.
How would you like to go for a little walk?
What they say about you is the president.
He picks your pocket and makes you feel good about it.
Well, I've had much worse said about me before.
Way worse.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
I want to let you know that we seek the same thing, McHale.
Do we, Ron?
We are not here because we need to be.
We desire peace just as you do.
But your proposal is not so simple.
Oh, actually, it is very simple.
It's just not easy.
But I believe that you and I, we can do it.
In fact, we must.
The world demands it.
And after all, isn't that who we work for?
The people and the man upstairs.
The man upstairs.
My grandmother was a Christian woman.
Go to church every day.
And afterwards say, "Michaíl, I went to church today.
I prayed for the atheist.
I prayed for you."
Well, I think that your grandmother and my mother
could have been very good friends.
So you're the Tiger Man.
Excuse me?
Tiger Man?
Like American baseball, very much.
Well, yeah, who's your favorite team?
New York Yankees.
And you?
St. Louis Cardinals.
Game seven, World Series.
Very sorry.
But what series?
Hold it.
Next time you're in the States, I'll
make sure you get to a game.
No, no, no, no, no.
Let them talk.
You go in there, you're fired.
Tiger Man.
My proposal is this, that you and I, by the time
that I leave office, can reduce our missile counts by half.
I'm not a patient man either.
I do not intend to leave office before they are gone, completely.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Oh, no.
Honey, look what I've done.
Oh, dear.
Maybe we can find another one.
Mr. President, we go live in five minutes.
I think we should find another one.
No.
Every kid knows his goldfish.
I'm going to write him a note.
We need to go now.
I mean, the entire world is waiting.
The world can wait.
I'm going to write him a note.
It's my Ronnie.
I have to wait.
Nothing was really agreed to yet beyond agreeing to meet again.
But the Soviet Union and USA were talking to one another,
instead of at one another.
That's just true, man.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Reagan's allies against us included the pope, Thatcher,
the Iron Lady, and leaders of West Germany and Japan,
Cole and Nakasone.
We stand firmly behind you.
When you speak with Secretary Gorbachev,
you are speaking for us in free word.
Well, we understand that you are surrounded by communists,
and we appreciate you standing with us.
Be careful.
Remember, communists have no problem
with lying to achieve their goals.
They are testing you to see if you will stand firm.
Don't worry.
I dealt with these guys back in Hollywood.
I even have the scars on my back to prove it.
And I promise you, we're not going to lose.
In other news, President Reagan has landed in Reykjavik,
Iceland to continue discussions with Soviet Premier Gorbachev
over nuclear disarmament.
50% across the border reduction.
All weapons groups.
Tactical, INF, ICBM.
In exchange, suspension of your strategic defense initiative.
Star Wars.
Some refer to it.
Counter proposal.
We share all SDI technology.
We develop it together.
We'll even pay for it.
And we eliminate all ballistic missiles in 10 years.
Together.
You refuse to share oil drilling technology,
and you offer this?
SDI is a completely defensive system.
This is the line, Mr. President.
If you walk away, you will have missed the chance of going down
in history as the president who paved the way for nuclear
disarmament.
How will you explain this to your free people?
Mr. President, I'm offering you the biggest
win of your presidency.
Just drop SDI.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Yet.
Let's go, George.
You would lose the whole deal over this one thing.
This is a fair offer.
As was mine.
I don't know what more I could have done.
You could have said yes.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
After he walked away from the negotiating table,
we were in a very dark place.
We knew it was over, unless something extraordinary happened.
We've accepted two more shipments of Soviet RPGs
and AK-47s coming out of Cuba, headed for Nicaragua.
Freedom fighters are holed up in the mountains.
David and Goliath, but they're making a go of it.
Well, I like these guys.
They remind me of Washington and the Continental Army.
What do they need?
What do they always need?
Band-aids, guns, and money.
Well, give them what they want.
Mr. President, we won't have the Congress
with us on this one.
And nothing but the truth, for help you God, I do.
Please be served.
The American Congress had said no to giving money
to these friends in Nicaragua.
And the Crusaders had hostages in the Middle East
and needed to free them.
But it was American policy never to negotiate with terrorists.
But somewhere, a plan was hatched.
Reagan's Iran-Contra situation comes down to this.
What did the president know and when did he know it?
And if you people of the press want any more answers,
you ask President Reagan.
Five decades of his struggle against us,
and it came down to whether he could
survive a domestic scandal.
In spite of the wildly speculative and false reports,
we do not negotiate with terrorists.
And we did not trade arms for hostages.
These accusations are potentially
impeachable offenses.
And if true, some observers believe his presidency could
be hanging in the balance.
For WNews4 at the White House, I'm Carl Long.
Bonnie, you have to do something.
Have you seen this?
Yes, I've seen it.
Are you listening to these people?
They want nothing more than to see you burn.
You know, they may smile and call you Mr. President,
but they hate you.
They hate what you say, what you believe in, who you are.
Honey, I just can't accept that.
No, no, you never could.
You're the optimist.
You're the one who wants to see the good in people.
But it's my job to see through them and protect you.
That's why we're such a good team.
Honey, you know Washington.
You know the way it works.
It's politics.
That's all--
They're talking impeachment.
Holy impeachment.
Yes.
They want to destroy you.
They're putting you on trial, removing you from office.
This isn't about politics anymore.
This is about you.
Everything is at stake.
One more headline, one more star witness, one more arrest,
and they will do it.
I have cooperated with them.
I appointed a special prosecutor.
I've turned over every document I have.
What would you have me do?
I want you to fight, or this is all over.
You could always hire someone.
Why, you looking for work?
I've got a job for you.
Back in Washington, you're the president, you could always
order me back there.
Are they going to impeach me, Bill?
Yeah, let's move in that direction, sir.
Mr. President, you're my friend.
I can only speak to you straight.
Some laws got broken for sure, whether you broke them
or somebody else did.
So now you're clamming up and lawyering up.
It's a wrong move.
Confuses everybody, even the ones that love you.
People are thinking that maybe you're losing it.
Yeah.
I've heard it.
What do you think I should do, Judge?
What you do best?
Tell them the truth?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
A few months ago, I told the American people
that I did not trade arms for hostages.
My heart and my best intentions still tell me that's true.
But the facts and the evidence tell me it is not.
Now, what should happen when you make a mistake is this.
You take your knocks, you put things in perspective,
you pull your energies together, you make changes,
and you go forward.
Americans, you do them wrong, you'll pay for it.
You looked them in the eye, that made you make a mistake.
They forgive you every time.
He was president.
He had to know.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
He was still the lifeguard.
He was going to get his people home.
I am not pleased with you, Ron.
Let's just get that said right up front.
Well, I can't imagine how I've upset you, Margaret.
Are we going to go over a grenade again?
Well, you're certainly not walking away
from what happened at Reykjavik.
No.
Looks like you're picking a fight.
No, but I'm not afraid of one.
Perhaps that is why Mitterrand calls you a dangerous cowboy.
Well, at least I had Margaret Thatcher on my side.
He wants to say it.
He does, but we'll never get it past Schultz.
I mean, it's the one thing they don't want him talking about.
My family in Germany is talking about it.
Everybody is talking about it.
He needs to talk about it.
He's going to Camp David, then he's back here for a day,
then he's going to Europe.
We have one shot to have him say this.
It's now or never.
Hey, give me this.
I'll take it.
Thank you.
Mr. President, some light reading.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hello, fellas.
Good day to fly.
No barrel rules.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Well, I think that's a first lady question.
Why would you do this to Gorbachev?
You know how long it's taken us to get to this.
They're at the table.
They're ready to make a deal.
And you want to embarrass him?
Gorbachev's the first friend we've had over there in 70 years.
You can't say this.
I'm begging you to listen to me.
I stood by you with STI when it was ridiculed.
I supported you with a contrast.
I even walked out a Reykjavik with egg on my face.
But this goes too far.
This is worse than evil, Empire.
You've got to blow up, Geneva.
You'll blow up eight years of diplomacy.
It'll be right back where we started from or worse.
Clarity is power.
You know, a very great man once said that to me.
What are we here for, George?
But to win.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Behind me stands a wall, part of a vast system of barriers
that divide the entire continent of Europe.
A gash, a barbed wire concrete, dogs, and guard towers,
imposing the will of a totalitarian state.
As long as this gate is closed and this scar
is permitted to stand, there is a question of freedom
for all mankind.
The totalitarian world produces backwardness
because it does such violence to the spirit,
affording the human impulse to create, to enjoy,
even to worship.
Here in Berlin, like the city itself,
symbols of love, symbols of worship, cannot be suppressed.
[CHEERING]
[APPLAUSE]
There is one sign that the Soviets
could make that would unmistakably and dramatically
advance the cause of freedom and peace.
General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace,
if you seek liberalization and change, come here to this gate.
[CHEERING]
Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate.
Is he going to save?
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.
[CHEERING]
[LAUGHTER]
Well done, cowboy man.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
In the chess game of the Cold War, it was checkmate.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
The unimaginable is happening right now in Berlin.
Shocking developments overnight as East Germany
announced its citizens can travel freely to West Germany.
What no one thought could happen is happening right now.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[CHEERING]
Within hours, the city erupted in celebration
as East and West Germans took hammers to the wall that
had separated them for 30 years.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Two years after the world fell, the Soviet Union was no more.
I knew he was the one.
He was the one who would bring us down,
not with missiles or guns or even politics,
something much greater.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
People will not give their lives for power or a state
or even ideology.
People give their lives for one another,
for the freedom to live those lives as they choose,
and for God.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
We took that away.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
The crusader would give it back to them.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
And that is the answer to your question.
Thank you, Mr. Petrovich.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Take it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Thank you.
Good night.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
What's going on there, Mr. President?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
This means something to me.
I know what you're saying, John, but I'm not going to do it.
Ma'am, we need you to tell him we can't do this anymore.
I can't.
I can't do it.
He got lost yesterday.
Couldn't find him for half an hour.
Horses know when a rider doesn't know what he's doing, OK?
He's going to get thrown again.
I can't tell him that he can't ride anymore.
He loves it too much.
Please.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
OK.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
He loves you more, ma'am.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Mr. President?
What is it, John?
You know, I don't think we're having as much
fun riding as we used to.
Oh, the agent on Mrs. Reagan, she is--
What do you want, John?
Mr. President, I don't--
I don't think we should ride anymore.
Oh.
[SIGH]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
One more ride.
Yes, sir, Mr. President.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
My fellow Americans, I have recently
been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who
will be afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.
At the moment, I feel just fine.
I intend to live the remainder of the years God gives me,
doing the things I have always done.
Unfortunately, as Alzheimer's disease progresses,
the family often bears a heavy burden.
I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy
from this painful experience.
I will continue to share life's journey with my beloved Nancy
and my family.
I plan to enjoy the great outdoors
and stay in touch with my friends and supporters.
When the time comes, I am confident that with your help,
she will face it with faith and courage.
All my memories gather round her.
Minor's lady, stranger to blue waters.
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky, misty taste of moonshine,
teardrop in my eye, country roads take me home to the place
I belong, West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home,
country roads, country roads take me home to the place
I belong.
In closing, let me thank you, the American people,
for giving me the great honor of allowing
me to serve as your president.
When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be,
I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours
and eternal optimism for its future.
I now begin the journey that will lead me
into the sunset of my life.
I know that for America, there will always
be a bright new dawn ahead.
Thank you, my friends.
May God always bless you.
Sincerely, Ronald Reagan.