Reagan Packed Heat. Now Everyone’s In on The Gun-Toting Fantasy(Eleanor Roosevelt?)

newsweek.com ^ | 2/6/2016 | Rick Perlstein

[rktman]

This past June, pulp novelist Brad Meltzer revealed that while he was touring Secret Service headquarters for research on a White House thriller, agents shared with him what Meltzer called a "secret."

President Ronald Reagan packed heat.

"It's true," they said. "A .38. Reagan used to hide it in his briefcase and take it on Air Force One."

Not a secret, actually. Edmund Morris said the same thing in Dutch. And Ronald Kessler's In the President's Secret Service reported that "Reagan confided to one agent that on his first presidential trip to the Soviet Union in May 1988, he had carried a gun in his briefcase."

Kessler also wrote that an agent protecting Reagan during his 1976 presidential run asked why he was wearing a pistol. Reagan replied, "Well, just in case you guys can't do the job, I can help out."

[rktman]

Uh, and the problem is? It's a constitutionally guaranteed right to "keep and bear arms" there mr. assclown. Sadly, there's no evidence that any law abiding citizen that carries has ever stopped a criminal act. Right? Wrong! Typical BS from news-weak. As I recall from somewhere, Eleanor Rossevelt always took her pistol on the road with her. OMG! Not a 'woman' with a gun.

[RC one]

[marktwain]

Many heads of state have been routinely armed.

The author posits the usual hypothetical nonsense, while ignoring real possibilities, such as a mole or turned cabinet member.

[TYVets]

The description of a Conservative has included "Someone who wears suspenders and a belt.

A conservative president would have the secret service AND his own firearm just in case.

[Don Hernando de Las Casas]

Trigger discipline, there Mr. President. I remember another photo of him horsing around with a rifle on an airplane, finger on trigger again.

[Flick Lives]

Reagan replied, "Well, just in case you guys can't do the job, I can help out."

"Dutch" Reagan. The early years.

[Durbin]

If somebody tried to kill me, I’d be packing heat too.

[Sasparilla]

Zer0 crries a 9 iron.

[CrazyIvan]

Peggy Noonan mentioned this in her book also.

[G Larry]

Hey Rick!

“Packing heat” is a RIGHT, not a “fantasy”!

Would you like a list of armed citizens who’ve used a firearm to protect themselves from attack in the last 12 months?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I believe Teddy Roosevelt also carried a gun, while Andrew Jackson used his walking stick, with hidden sword, to thrash an attacker. He used his sword on a political enemy before becoming President.

[Kommodor]

Nice pic of RR there, thanks for sharing.

[archy]

"It's true," they said. "A .38. Reagan used to hide it in his briefcase and take it on Air Force One."

You should have seen what he carried when he was an Army Reserve officer around 1936/'37:

[2001convSVT]

Does anyone have any idea what make and model Presedent Reagan carried?

[Covenantor]

Harry Truman was residing in the Blair House while across the street the White was undergoing major reconstruction. It was during this period two Puerto Rican Nationalists attempted to assassinate him. During the brief but deadly gunfight Truman leaned out the window, saw what was going on and then in a rage rushed to the stairs. SS agent had to physically restrain him from continuing his attempt to confront the would be killers. Excellent account of the events detailed in American Gunfight: The Plot to Kill President Truman--and the Shoot-out That Stopped It ,Stephen Hunter, John Jr. Bainbridge.