Ronald Reagan's Daughter Tears into Donald Trump: 'Would Be Grieving'

Author Patti Davis, the daughter of the late President Ronald Reagan, said her father would be "grieving" over how President Donald Trump is damaging America's standing on the world stage.

In a Tuesday interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Davis, a liberal, said the U.S. is becoming "hated" globally, in contrast to Reagan's "peace through strength" mantra.

Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan is similar to "Let's Make America Great Again" slogan used by Reagan during his 1980 presidential campaign. Ronald Reagan, who was president from 1981 to 1989, has long served as a political reference within the GOP.

What to Know

Speaking on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 on Tuesday, Davis said Reagan would be "heartbroken" and "grieving" over Trump's earlier actions amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Referencing her father's "peace through strength" philosophy, which he embraced during the Cold War, Davis said that "bullying" or being "overly aggressive" does not equate to strength, but "forming alliances" does.

Prior to Trump announcing that the U.S. would cut off military aid to Ukraine—a move that put him at odds with European allies in NATO—the president and Vice President JD Vance berated Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in front of the media in the Oval Office.

The Trump administration said Tuesday it would lift its suspension of weapons supplies and intelligence sharing as part of a 30-day ceasefire proposal which Ukraine signaled it was open to.

Davis has never been a Republican and is a frequent critic of Trump and the modern-day GOP.

Davis spoke to Cooper following remarks from Nebraska Republican Representative Don Bacon who was asked by CNN on Monday whether Trump was being "too conciliatory" toward Russia in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Bacon responded that nations are questioning whether the U.S. remains the "leader of the free world," adding that Trump is "walking away from that legacy" built by previous presidents, including Reagan.

What People Are Saying

Patti Davis told CNN on Tuesday: "I think [Reagan] would be heartbroken. I think he would be grieving. This is beyond politics. This is the relationship between us and our country, which is every bit as profound as one's relationship with another individual. And the America that I grew up in, that we all have known, is one that had alliances and was friends with other countries. It would go to other countries that were in trouble, that were being tyrannized or invaded, or otherwise suffering from famines...

"That's the America that we know, that we have been bonded with—and suddenly, that America is no longer that. Suddenly, we're hated in the world.

"That phrase, 'peace through strength'—I think we have to define what strength is. I don't think bullying is strength. I don't think being overly aggressive is strength. Strength is forming alliances."

Nebraska Republican Representative Don Bacon told CNN on Monday: "We may be the most powerful country in the world. We were the leader of the free world, but it appears to many leaders and people all over—to include Republicans in Nebraska—that this administration is walking away from that legacy that was built by Ike Eisenhower and many presidents, with Ronald Reagan as its capstone: peace through strength, building these close alliances. And we are undermining that legacy right now."

President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday about the proposed Ukraine-Russia ceasefire: "We're going to meet with them [Russia] later on today and tomorrow, and hopefully, we'll be able to work out a deal. But I think the ceasefire is very important. If we can get Russia to do it, that'll be great. If we can't, we just keep going on, and people are going to get killed. Lots of people."

What Happens Next

Russia said Wednesday it would not commit to a 30-day ceasefire until President Vladimir Putin had been briefed by the U.S. about the discussion with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia. Trump said he hopes to discuss the deal with Putin while speaking to reporters Tuesday.