Michael Reagan, Son of President Ronald Reagan, Dies at 80

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Michael Reagan, the eldest son of former United States President Ronald Reagan and a longtime conservative commentator, has died at the age of 80.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced his death on Tuesday in a post on the social platform X, describing him as “a steadfast guardian of his father’s legacy.” 

The foundation said Reagan lived “a life shaped by conviction, purpose, and an abiding devotion to President Reagan’s ideals.”

While his cause of death was not immediately disclosed, the news has deeply saddened his admirers and those who have worked with him. 

Reagan spent much of his life in Southern California, where he attended Los Angeles Valley College and began his career in talk radio. He went on to host a nationally known, politics-focused radio program that aired from multiple locations over the years, including KIEV in Glendale and stations in the San Diego area. 

Beyond broadcasting, Reagan remained closely involved with his father’s foundation, library, and museum, serving as a prominent public advocate for the preservation and promotion of Ronald Reagan’s political legacy.

Michael Reagan, the eldest of President Ronald Reagan’s five children, spoke publicly about his personal life, including his adoption, in a series of autobiographies. In those works, he detailed his efforts to come to terms with his upbringing and identity. 

Closely connected to philanthropic efforts reflecting his family’s legacy, Reagan played a leading role in several charitable organizations. He served as chair of the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation board, a cause made personal by his father’s death from complications of Alzheimer’s disease in June 2004. 

Alongside the philanthropic work, Reagan also chaired the Reagan Legacy Foundation, dedicated to advancing the causes championed during his father’s presidency, and later became a regular commentator for the conservative television network Newsmax.

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