Yesterday someone on a news channel said that National Review treated Reagan similarly during his campaign.
If somebody "on a news channel" said that, they were either a liar, a moron, or both. Probably both. [And also, probably, a Trumpbot.]
WFB himself described Reagan unswervingly as his best friend. NR not only endorsed Reagan for both runs in 1980 and 1984, they also endorsed Reagan in his challenge to the sitting Republican President Gerald Ford in 1976.