Splitting hair is never a good in making a point. Whether he tripled or doubled or doubled and a half is not important. What is significant is the non-significant increase in spending during his 8 years.
I ALWAYS look at the big picture.
The BIG picture is, for a “conservative”, the spending record under president Reagan can never make any fiscal conservative deliriously happy.
Also, I have no problem with his increases in military spending. Those were necessary. What I did not like is the increases in NON-military spending which were evern larger than increases in military spending.
How many spending bills vetoes did he sign, which he could have. If the democrat congress overrode his vetoes, my admiration for Reagan would be even higher.
This is not splitting hair(sic). On a real dollar basis spending increased by 22%. If not adjusted for inflation it was around 70%. Tripling is 300%. You are not even anywhere close.
The true story has far more than this total number. You have to look at everything Reagan accomplished and the political environment in Washington when he was president.
Reagan did an excellent job. The big spending Democrats who controlled Congress, the media and the bureaucracy tried to sabotage him at every step.
It is easy to look back and make false charges against Reagan. But he was a great president who accomplished much under difficult circumstances.