Noshing With Ken Khachigian – October 3, 2024

Ira's Everything Bagel

Author, Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan & Nixon

This week on Ira’s Everything Bagel Podcast, host Ira Sternberg welcomes a true political insider, Ken Khachigian. Author of the captivating book, Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan & Nixon, Ken sheds light on history-shaping moments he witnessed firsthand as confidant, strategist, and speechwriter to Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

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A Treasure Trove of Untold Stories

Ken dives into the inspiration behind Behind Closed Doors. He reveals a treasure trove of information, unavailable elsewhere, gleaned from his meticulous record-keeping and diary entries. Listeners will be captivated by firsthand accounts of how Nixon and Reagan, despite their differences, collaborated to end the Cold War.

The Man Behind the Words

The episode delves into the demanding world of presidential speechwriting. Ken shares his discipline in meticulously documenting meetings with both presidents, even amidst a grueling schedule. He discusses gaining the trust of two such distinct personalities, Nixon and Reagan, and the qualities that made them feel comfortable confiding in him.

Loyalty, Power, and Regret

Ken offers candid insights into the complex world of presidential politics. He explores the concept of unwavering loyalty to the president, a defining characteristic of his service. The episode also touches on the potential pitfalls of power, prompting reflection on regrets and the lessons learned.

Unearthing Historical Gems

Ken recounts the thrill of uncovering a “very significant piece of information” hidden within the Reagan archives, a detail that had eluded others. He reveals strategies to avoid becoming jaded in such a high-pressure environment, offering valuable advice for those navigating the halls of power.

A Legacy Revealed

Behind Closed Doors serves as more than a memoir. Ken shares the “big historical takeaway” from his experiences, offering a unique perspective on the events that shaped the 20th century.

Connect with Ken Khachigian

To learn more about Ken Khachigian and his insightful book, visit the Reagan and Nixon Website.

Podcast Conclusion

Ira’s Everything Bagel Podcast with Ken Khachigian is a must-listen for anyone interested in American political history, presidential decision-making, and the complexities of loyalty and trust within the Oval Office. Ken’s firsthand accounts provide a captivating glimpse into history, offering a deeper understanding of the pivotal moments that shaped our world.

Links:

Reagan and Nixon Website

Ken Khachigian Facebook

Ken Khachigian Instagram

Ken Khachigian X

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Read The Full Transcript

Ken Khachigian Podcast Epsiode Full Transcript

Ira Sternberg: Welcome to Ira’s Everything Bagel, where I talk with intriguing people about everything—their passions, pursuits, and points of view. Two presidents who had a major impact on the 20th century both worked with the same trusted speechwriter, confidant, and strategist. Now, whether you liked these two presidents or not, whether you approved of their policies or not, they were both political legends and presidential giants. I’m talking about Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, and my guest worked with both men for many years, either on the campaign or in the White House. Ken Khachigian is author of Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan and Nixon, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all the usual places. For everything about Ken and the book, go to reaganandnixon.com—that’s reaganandnixon.com. Ken, welcome to the show.

Ken Khachigian: Thank you, good to be here.

Ira Sternberg: Why did you decide to write the book? You had all these notes, an insider’s view, but why write the book instead of keeping it private?

Ken Khachigian: Because I had information no one else had, and it had to be told. I had amazing stories, anecdotes, and history that nobody else could share. There were moments with both presidents—Reagan and Nixon—when they shared their lives, their political past, their thoughts on policies, and their records with me. I kept meticulous records, diaries, and even recorded some thoughts during campaigns. For example, in the 1980 campaign, I kept an audio diary. So, with Reagan and Nixon, I was sitting with two of the giants of the last quarter of the 20th century, and I felt that if I didn’t tell these stories, no one would ever know about them. It was like unearthing gold from granite. I knew it was a story that needed to be preserved.

Ira Sternberg: It’s interesting. There were so many people in both of their orbits, but you’re one of the few who was in both—at different times, sometimes simultaneously. And you had the discipline to write up notes after these meetings, even during the craziness of a campaign. In reading the book, you describe these grueling schedules—writing speeches, adapting stump speeches, going from one city to another—and yet, you still took the time to document these experiences. How?

Ken Khachigian: I knew I was witnessing history. In the 1980 campaign, for example, there were times I’d be dictating into a tape recorder at 2:00 or 2:30 in the morning. Someday, when the archives at the Reagan Library release these tapes, people will hear my tired, hoarse voice, living on three or four hours of sleep. I wanted to capture these moments because I knew no one else was keeping this level of record. Sure, others like Len Nofziger, Mike Deaver, James Baker, and Larry Speakes wrote books, but most used ghostwriters. This book is all firsthand; I wrote every word. There’s no other firsthand report of the 1980 and 1984 campaigns, or of Nixon’s post-Watergate years, or his preparation for the David Frost interviews. If I didn’t write it, it would be lost.

Ira Sternberg: Both presidents had distinctive personalities, and yet you bonded with each in a unique way. Nixon had a reputation for being distant, while Reagan was more outwardly genial. How did you build trust with both of them?

Ken Khachigian: That’s a good question, Ira. People saw Reagan’s public persona—smiling, genial, telling jokes—and assumed he was easy to connect with. But he actually kept his distance, even from his staff. Besides Nancy, there were very few people in his inner circle. When Reagan was unsure of the people around him, he’d default to telling jokes. Nixon, on the other hand, had this reputation for being aloof, but he was more accessible than people thought. If you talked to him about history, politics, or sports, he’d open up immediately, sharing stories about Churchill, or meetings with Golda Meir, or his love of baseball. So they were very different personalities, but both allowed me into their inner circle.

Ira Sternberg: What do you think it was about your personality that allowed both of them to trust you?

Ken Khachigian: I think it was because I was in the trenches with them, especially with Nixon during the last days of Watergate and later during his memoirs and preparation for the Frost interviews. With Reagan, I traveled with him throughout the 1980 campaign, and he saw how the lines I wrote resonated with people and the media. We also shared some common ground—I grew up in a small town, and so did Reagan. We both came from modest backgrounds, and we shared a love for radio. I didn’t try to impose my views on him, which a lot of people did. I respected his choices and only intervened if something was way off track.

Ira Sternberg: Being at such a high level, in campaigns and the White House, did you get a sense you were part of history? And did you ever see things that went against your moral code but kept going anyway?

Ken Khachigian: Absolutely, I knew I was part of history, especially in the last days of Nixon’s administration. I was 29 and didn’t have the position to change much, but I knew the weight of the moment. Later, with Reagan, I felt part of something meaningful, helping to turn around the economy and restore respect for America. As for the moral code, especially during the Reagan years, yes, I saw things. Internally, in Reagan’s White House, there was a lot of disloyalty to his policies. People were steering him in directions he didn’t want to go, taking advantage of his non-confrontational nature. If I could go back, I would have been more vocal, especially regarding the 1982 tax increases, which Reagan later told me was one of his biggest regrets. His staff misled him about what he was getting from Congress.

Ira Sternberg: And it’s one thing if your cabinet or Congress misleads you, but it’s a different story when your own staff isn’t upfront with you.

Ken Khachigian: Exactly. They would justify it by saying they thought it was in his best interest or they thought it would serve his reputation better. But really, a lot of it was about looking good in the press or polishing their own image. That’s why I wrote this book honestly—to set the record straight.

Ira Sternberg: And you don’t hold back. You’re critical of people like James Baker, for example. It’s clear this book wasn’t written to make everyone look good.

Ken Khachigian: I didn’t set out to criticize colleagues. I liked most of them, but a couple, like Dick Darman, were difficult personalities. Darman was a bully. He came into the White House to accumulate power for its own sake, and he’d often try to undermine me, even publicly. As Marty Anderson once joked, people took an instant dislike to Darman because it saved time. But my goal wasn’t to throw punches. I just wanted to write an honest book, and I’m at a stage in my life where I’d rather document the truth than polish the past.

Ira Sternberg: Speaking of the campaign days, it’s fascinating to read how you were working with an IBM Selectric typewriter—no modern conveniences like we have today. Yet you were producing historic speeches and managing campaign material. It’s remarkable.

Ken Khachigian: We had no choice! At the time, the IBM Selectric felt like cutting-edge technology. I couldn’t even afford to buy one outright; I paid for it in installments. That machine is now on display at the Reagan Library. But that’s how we worked—we’d land in a city, rush to get approval for a speech, and just keep going. We didn’t know any other way.

Ira Sternberg: What’s the one thing you want readers to take away from the book? Is it about the presidents, history, or politics?

Ken Khachigian: I want readers to see the human side of both presidents. They were more than just public figures; they were complex, fascinating individuals. One historical takeaway that I think will surprise readers is how close Nixon and Reagan were. Nixon was a quiet advisor to Reagan throughout the 1980 and 1984 campaigns, as well as his presidency. I often acted as an intermediary between them, carrying Nixon’s memos and advice to Reagan. These conversations and memos are documented in the book and provide a unique insight into their relationship.

Ira Sternberg: Final question—how did you avoid becoming jaded after seeing the darker side of politics?

Ken Khachigian: I think it was because there were so many positive things we accomplished, and I worked with some incredible people. There were high points, like traveling on Air Force One, dining with the president, and experiencing history firsthand. But I also avoided becoming jaded by not being in Washington full-time. I chose to live in California, where I could have a real life outside the political power struggles. Many of my colleagues didn’t have that balance, and I think that’s what leads to burnout and cynicism.

Ira Sternberg: That’s a great way to leave it. My guest has been Ken Khachigian, author of Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan and Nixon, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all the usual places. For everything about Ken and the book, go to reaganandnixon.com. Ken, thanks for being on the show.

Ken Khachigian: Thanks, Ira, it’s been a lot of fun.

Ira Sternberg: And join us every Thursday for a new schmear on Ira’s Everything Bagel.