The former First Lady Nancy Reagan would have turned 100 this week, and to mark the occasion, Fox News host Chris Wallace spoke out to pay tribute to her.
Wallace Talks Nancy Reagan
“One of the treasures of my long career… was that I spent six years covering the Reagans,” Wallace told “Fox & Friends” co-host Pete Hegseth. “I really would say that she [Nancy] was a partner in power.”
“She really played a big role in the Reagan presidency,” he added. “She didn’t get tremendously involved in policy, but she got very involved in personnel. And as anybody who’s covered politics knows, personnel is policy.”
“So she was one of the key players in naming James Baker, the first White House chief of staff,” Wallace explained. “She was very supportive of George Shultz as the secretary of state.”
“And I think there’s no question that she played a role in the negotiations and the successful treaties that were concluded between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev to limit the number of missiles fired at each other at the height of the Cold War,” he continued.
Related: Flashback: President Reagan’s Heartfelt Christmas Message To America Is Even More Relevant Today
Reagan Hit With Challenges
When asked how Reagan was treated as first lady, Wallace admitted she had some challenges at times.
“She was treated pretty well as a first lady in terms of coverage, but she had some bumps,” Wallace said. “That’s one of the things that makes her story so interesting, because for the first couple of years, she got bashed. She got coverage, but it was negative coverage, and I think she would say that she played a part in that.”
“But as time went on, she got Washington, got what was expected of her, and not only in terms of influencing the president, but [she] became very involved in the Just Say No anti-drug movement, and became a very admired figure in this country in her own right,” he continued.
“It’s a very interesting story,” Wallace concluded. “A rocky start as first lady, and then a very successful ending to her time.”
Related: Remembering A Dark Day In America: 40 Years Ago, President Reagan Was Shot
Reagan passed away back in 2016 at the age of 94. She continues to be dearly missed by millions of Americans to this day.
This piece was written by James Samson on July 8, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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