A Memoir of My Years in the White House, Part 2

Ronald Reagan in Private
by Jim Kuhn

(Page 2 of 2)

At Chateau Fleur d'Eau, I was uneasy as Gorbachev's motorcade got closer and closer and Reagan donned his blue cashmere coat and white scarf. So much rode on this first encounter. Why did the president need to wear a coat? He simply needed to step outside, walk maybe 25 feet to greet Gorbachev and then escort him up the stairs for the official photo.

I was thinking fast. Thousands of the world's press were covering this historic meeting, and it could be a major mistake to have the president all bundled up. What if Gorbachev got out of his car without a coat? Then the world would see a younger, more vigorous man greeting and old and feeble man, dressed as if he couldn't be out in the cold for just a few minutes with Gorbachev.

As the president was donning his coat, I spoke up.

"Mr. President, I'm not so sure you're going to need your coat," I said. "You're only going to be outside for a couple of minutes. Plus, Mr. Gorbachev may not be wearing his coat."

Schultz, who had heard me, looked at me as if I was crazy.

"Mr. President," he said, "don't worry about it. Gorbachev will have his coat on."

I fired back. "I'm not so sure." My experience as an advance man had kicked in. Perception was everything, especially at a historic moment like this. "We don't know what Gorbachev is going to be wearing. These details haven't been discussed."

Then McFarlane spoke up. "Jim," he said, "don't worry about it. He'll have his coat on. It's not a concern."

I thought Regan might back me up. But he joined in: "Jim, it's not going to be a problem."

The president finished buttoning his overcoat and adjusting his scarf around his neck. Five minutes to go. Schultz, Regan and McFarlane moved into their positions outside at the arrival. It was just the president and me.

I had this intense fear of the world perception of this first encounter if Reagan were seen as old and weak. It would be a bad start to the summit, a setback that would be very difficult to overcome. I took a deep breath and tried again.

"Mr. President, I know you've got a lot on your mind, but I need to talk to you again," I said. "We both heard what Schultz, McFarlane and Reagan said. But they don't have any idea what's going on with the coats. None of us focused on this until now, but it could become a major thing when you step outside for the first greeting."

Reagan dismissed my concern.

"Well, don't worry about it, Jim," he said. "I'm fine, and we're ready to go."

Two minutes until Gorbachev's arrival. We were just a few feet from the front door, ready to step outside. I kept seeing a vision of a heavily bundled-up Reagan greeting Gorbachev, who would appear in his business suit. I had to protect President Reagan. I tried yet again.

"Mr. President, this is the last thing I'm going to say."

The president, who rarely got angry, was getting irritated.

"What is it now?" he said. "It's not the coat again, is it?"

"Yes, sir. But let me ask you one final question," I said.

"What?" Now the president was definitely irritated.

"Suppose I'm right about the coat," I said. "And Mr. Gorbachev gets out of the car with just his business suit on, looking strong and ready to go. And you're all covered up the way you are as if you can't be outside for a few minutes without this heavy wrap on. If that's the case, then who's going to look stupid before the whole world? You or Gorbachev?"

The president gave in.

"All right, dammit, Jim," he said. "Have it your way." And he ripped off the scarf, pulled off his coat and tossed it into my arms.

"There, is that what you want?" he said.

"Yes, sir," I said. " Now, you're ready to go."

Almost immediately thereafter, we heard distant sirens of the Soviet motorcade. One minute later, the motorcade pulled up, and I opened the door for Reagan. He stepped outside to top of the stairs until Gorbachev's limo crunched to a halt on the gravel drive. The windows of Gorbachev's limo were dark, so we couldn't see inside. Reagan then descended the stairs and approached the limo as the Soviet leader emerged.

Gorbachev wore a dark overcoat. A scarf was tightly wrapped around his neck.

As Gorbachev climbed out, he snatched his dark fedora off his head and held out his other hand to the president.

The two men greeted each other and then turned to climb the stairs. As they did, Reagan reached out and gently placed his hand on Gorbachev's elbow. It was a warm and welcoming gesture, but it also looked like he was trying to assist the much younger Gorbachev.

At the top of the stairs, they stopped and turned for photographers. And that was the photo that ran on the front page of every newspaper and newsmagazine, and in every news telecast. Ronald Reagan, dressed in his finely tailored blue suit, towering over the stocky Gorbachev, who looked like something out of central casting-a stodgy Russian who has just arrived from snowy Moscow.

We had ended up rolling the Soviets big-time. Without intending to, we had hit them hard. We got off to a great start.

The Soviets were not at all pleased about it and talked about it far after the summit. "I felt like we lost the game during the first movement," said Kremlin press official Sergei Tarasenko years later.

That day, the coat incident bothered the Soviets so much that as we broke for lunch at the end of the first session, to head back to our respective venues, Gorbachev's last words to Reagan were "When we meet again, will it be coats on or coats off?" And at every point over the next three days, whenever there was an upcoming departure, Gorbachev invariably asked the president the same question. "The next time we meet, will it be coats on or coats off?"

Copyright © 2006 Penguin Group

About the Author

Jim Kuhn served Ronald Reagan as an advance man, personal assistant, and finally, executive assistant, from 1976 until the President left the White House in 1989. Kuhn is now a Washington lobbyist.