Reading words. I hope were rolling. And mine its just fine with me. It appears to an observer that after 33 years of marriage you too are still absolutely nuts about each other mrs. Reagan. How do you plead guilty . Mr. President how good a politician is mrs. Reagan . Oh, absolutely dont you think so . The words right out of my mouth. I think she prompting you again. Is reckon some people have suggested that you have been the driving force in your husbands career and that you wanted the presidency more than he did. Yeah. I know ive read that too. Not true. I i thought i married an actor. And actually, he was asked he was asked to run for office. Soon after we got married and turned it down by the democrats when he sold democrat. And then when the governorship came along i went along with it, but that wasnt something that i had carved out for for our future and certainly the presidency wasnt something that i said youve got to do this. No that that isnt true. I think what people get mixed up. As far as im concerned and this whole thing of my my pushing pushing him. That they dont understand that. If he had decided to go into the shoe business, id be out pushing shoes. You know, whatever arent you . Glad he didnt yeah, that was my next point. My next point was that that actually as its all turned out. Hes given me the most. Fascinating interesting wonderful frustrating at times frightening at times but a life i never ever thought id have. That was nancy reagan from a 1985 camp david interview conducted by then. Nbc news chief White House Correspondent chris wallace. The press and the public never tired of speculating about how political this former hollywood actress actually was and how much influence she had on the 40th president. It wasnt until she left the white house that she felt fully free to address all those questions in her memoir. Her effort as she said to let nancy be nancy. But she left plenty of clues along the way her public image in particular was a source of continuing frustration to her. Youll hear in her own voice how she experienced her white house years featuring footage from cspans video library. First nancy reagan on how she tried to counter negative publicity part of an interview with journalist hedrick smith. Shes talking about her 1982 surprise performance at the Gridiron Club pressed dinner in washington known for its political parodies. This is nancy reagan in her own words. Second hand clothes secondhand closed theyre all the rage at the spring fashion shows. Even my two new trench coat with for color ronnie bought for 10 cents on the dollar. Secondhand gowns old handmedowns. The china is the the only thing thats new. Even though they tell me im no longer queen. Did ronnie have to buy me that new sewing machine. Secondhand closed secondhand clothes, i sure sure hope ed me so i guess i came around. To thinking well, all right. Well try. I mean it cant be worse than it was you know, and so she said originally they had thought that i would make fun of the press. And i said, no no that im not going to do that. The only the only way we could do this is if i make a fond of myself. I make fun of myself. Then maybe i have a 50 50 chance here. As you well know. That first year was not. Nobody was really crazy about me and i dont think id have been crazy about me reading what i did. About me press was rough. Press was rough. I and i i and i really dont know why because it started before i ever got here. They didnt me. And i never did quite figure out why but anyway. I didnt know until i read in your book that. That they were having meetings about me and over in the west wing that i was a liability and everything like that. Well, i guess maybe i was i was pretty gun shy i mean it had been rough. And your inclination is to run and hide in the closet and lock yourself in. You know you you tend to pull back when its i do. Anyway, what is that rough . Which is the wrong thing to do you shouldnt do that, but i do. Youre watching American History tv and listening to nancy reagan in her own words the same year of her 1982 Gridiron Club appearance the first lady spoke to the National Federation of parents for drugfree youth antidrug policies were her signature issues in the white house during the question and answer period a young boy stood to address her. Lets watch after billy is going to be topper davis and that will be a questions to dr. Carlton, dr. Turner well, mrs. Again, just as a kid. I just like to thank you. And really have a whole bunch of questions, but im gonna try and hold it to just one. Oh, go ahead. Well, like the squeaky wheels the druggie seem to get most of your attention, what would you meant for parents and teachers for us kids for us many kids who are responsibility and drugfree. I know its its true. Youre right. Youre absolutely right. The bad news seems to get more attention than than good news. A matter of fact bill. Can i tell this story . Dell was going to bill was on a morning show with a couple of his children and who had had drug problems . But he has another child who was had no drug problems at all. And the two children who had had drug problems were on the problem with him. I was pretty exciting to them to be on this big show. But the other one said dad you know, i havent done anything. Ive never ive never smoked pot. Ive never taken anything and i dont get to go on National Television and that doesnt seem fair. So they asked me if i would go on the program and i said, yes, ill go on if i can take his other child. Im not through ive got more. Um, i had i had a letter from a girl about age i think. I made the statement that i thought probably most. Young kids had tried pot at one time or another and she misunderstood or or was anyway, there was a misunderstanding. He thought that i said all young people. And she wrote me indignantly and said mrs. Reagan. I want you to know that ive never tried drugs. Ive never been on drugs. My friends have never been on drugs and we have no intention of going on drugs and its dumb and i wish you wouldnt say that anymore. I was very happy to get her letter that i thought that was wonderful and i wrote her told her i hadnt really said what id said. But you know, its it is a terrible. Problem, isnt it in in the whole not just with drugs, but with everything today we seem to be playing up the negative rather than the positive and theres so many positive things that we can talk about and so many. Positive things that people do at the white house my husband gives awards to people to young people to elderly people the middle people who have done really marvelous things wonderful things that we never hear anything about but we hear always about the the ones whove done. The bad things the terrible things and were dragged down by that i think. And all i would like to see is a little balance, you know find to talk about the things that are going on that are wrong and shouldnt be going on. But for heavens sakes, lets give a little pat on the back to the people who are out there doing these great things every single day because they are out there, but we never hear about them and i agree with you that its wrong late in the reagans second term. The first lady went to the United Nations where she delivered a blunt warning about the dangers of drug use in the United States and throughout the world. This is nancy reagan in her own words at the United Nations. It gives me pleasure on behalf of the Third Community to welcome among us today men do better relay, they representative of the United States of America Nancy reagan mrs. Nancy reagan one first lady of the United States and i invite her to make her statement. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Im delighted to be here the member of the us delegation to speak before the Third Committee of the United NationsGeneral Assembly on a matter of urgent importance to all of us. The Third Committee is now considering agenda items on youth families and crime prevention. I want to talk to you about the illegal use of drugs and the direct impact is having on families and especially children. I come before the United Nations today as a wife and a mother. And one who has had a unique opportunity to see the impact of the drug problem not only in the United States, but in many areas of the world i worked on this problem with many distinguished people represented on this committee. Ive had the opportunity to travel to many parts of the world and have seen the problem firsthand. Ive also been privileged to work on two occasions with mrs. Perez de cuellar in 1985. She joined me and 29 other first ladies from around the world when we gathered at the United Nations to discuss the drug issue. Our message was this. As mothers were concerned. As first ladies were committed. And his citizens of the world we pledged to do all its possible to stop the scourge. Last year mrs. Perez de cueira and i prepared a video tape message for the First International conference on drug abuse and the Illicit Trafficking. At that Conference Held at the initiative of the secretary general 138 countries joined together and declaring that stopping drug abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a universal priority. Im deeply heartened that the United Nations is near completion. New antidrug Trafficking Convention that will affirm what every mother every parent knows that drug traffickers are International Criminals who deserve no rest or sanctuary. The International Efforts against drugs are a vital importance and must be expanded. And i would add that even though i have some harsh things to say about illegal drug consumption in the United States. I also intend to speak very plainly about the countries that supply this demand. However let me say the outset. That its the United States alone which bears responsibility for its own drug problem. Im not blaming other nations for americas drug problem. While most of the Illegal Drugs are imported the drug users are home grown to find americas drug problem. Weve had to look no. Other than our own communities our neighbors our sons and daughters. To get serious about stopping Illegal Drugs that can be no substitute for focusing on the user and that means confronting all those citizens who use drugs. Now frankly its far easier for the United States to focus on coco fields grown by 300,000 campesinas in peru than to shut down the dealer who can be found on the sheet corner of our cities. Its often easier to make strong speeches about foreign drug lords. Or drug smugglers and to arrest a pair of wall Street Investment bankers buying cocaine on their lunch break. Yes, we need to break the back of the drug cartels. We need to eradicate coco fields and interdict narcotics and transit. But we will not get anywhere. From place a greater burden of action on foreign governments than on americas mayors judges and legislators you see the Cocaine Cartel doesnt begin and meadow lane it begins in the streets of New York Miami los angeles. Every American City or crack is bought and sold. Its the drug user who makes the cartel possible. Who provides the market who funds the enterprise . And the drug user is an accomplished to every criminal act every murder every terrorist attack carried out by the narcotics syndicate. If we lack the will to fully mobilize the forces of law in our country to arrest and punish drug users if we cant step because we cannot stem the american demand for drugs. Then there will be little hope of preventing foreign drug producers from fulfilling that demand. But if we can control that demand and curtail the drug consumption in our own. Then our efforts can succeed and the International Drug narcotics rings can and will be defeated. Now, let me stay clearly. Not withstanding a few voices on the fringes. I dont believe the American People will ever allow the legalization of drugs in our country the consensus against drugs in the United States has never been stronger. We clearly understand the drugs must remain illegal at every step in the chain. If its a legal to draw to grow cocoa in peru to process it into cocaine in colombia to ship it through the caribbean then it must be a little legal to buy or use cocaine in the United States. And that is the way it must and will remain. Youre watching American History tv, and were listening to nancy reagan in her own words early in Ronald Reagans presidency. He was shot in an assassination attempt as he left a Washington Hotel speech nancy reagan would later say that the trauma of that day never left her. She talked with cspans brian lamb about rushing to her husbands side. We got downstairs and he kept saying you i said im going to the hospital and he said it its not necessary. He hasnt been hurt. Theyre the its not necessary. And i said george. You either get the car or im going to walk. And we got to the hospital. And my deaver met me at the hospital. And said he has been shot. And there were police all around. And a lot of noise and they put me in a little small room. There was one desk and one chair. How was it . And i kept wanting. To see ronnie here and they keep saying what he hes all right, but you cant see him and i kept saying well if hes all right. Why cant i see him . And finally they let me see him he was lying there with that thing on his. Face to help him breathe and lifted it up and thats when he said honey. I forget. Forgot to duck the first lady was as guarded about the president s political wellbeing as she was about his physical safety in that same interview. She talked about her political antenna. Think i just had little antennas that went up. And told me when somebody had their own agenda and not and not ronnies and and then i tell him. He didnt always agree with me, but i tell him. And usually worked out. What was the first thing that you would notice when somebody had their own agenda . I you just know you just you cant say theres something that you you just know if youre if you have those antennas. Youre watching American History tv and listening to nancy reagan in her own words in 1994. The former first lady sat down with historian carl anthony before an audience of hundreds at washingtons mayflower hotel. She revealed that she had no interest in politics as a young woman and explain why she left her hollywood career behind she talked about the tumult surrounding her cancer surgery when she lost her mother and prepared for the arrival of the soviet power. Couple mchale and raisa gorbachev. Join me in a round of applause for nancy reagan. Okay, once in water. Thank you. Well, here we are carl. Austin a few friends i was thinking something that nobody i know has as ever asked you at least ive never seen it written or published anywhere or were on television. Your mother was a very strong democrat and your father a republican. Yes. Well, yes, my mother was a very strong democrat. My father really wasnt too interested in politics, but lent lean more to republicans when you were younger. What were your politics or was it something that even interested . You didnt know one thing about it. Not a thing and when we got married, i didnt know anything about it. Everything i learned. I learned during our courtship and and after we were married obviously, so were you were you first were you a democrat when you i was nothing . I dont say that with pride because that was wrong and i you know. But young people in those days werent as involved politically and and you should be but truth it was i wasnt. Well if your husband had not continued in politics. After the governorship years do you think you would have gone back to your film career . Oh, i doubt it. I doubt it. I i made a conscious decision and and ronnie never asked me to do this but id seen too many marriages in hollywood. Fail because with people with both in the business you know when youre a woman. In this business in that business everything is done for you on the set and everybody is telling you every minute how dear and darling you are how wonderful you are. And its just i mean, its pretty heady and then when you come home, you expect the same thing. And when it is given to you, then theres gonna be trouble and i didnt didnt want that to happen. So i made the choice. No, i enjoyed it. I loved it when i was doing it just to touch on just one or two. Of the events and issues of of the reagan years now barbara bush has recently said that she was prochoice while her husband wasnt was that a similar situation for you and president reagan agreeing to disagree but not public or why did i know this was going to come up . I just know was gonna come up. Well i dont know where youd put me really. Im against abortion. I dont i dont believe in abortion on the other hand. I believe in a womans choice, so it puts me somewhere in the middle. But i dont know what you call that. Thats the best way i can answer it. And also during the during the period United States and soviet union. Well when gorbachev first came into power after chenango and and drop off and i dont know who else was everybody kept dying on us. You felt very strongly about the opportunity there. For friendship between your husband and gorbachev im wondering if you could i