EP 245: Secretary of State George Shultz on Reagan, Gorbachev, and Winning the Cold War

Former Secretary of State George Shultz recalls his close friendship with President Ronald Reagan, the moment he realized that Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was someone the U.S. could do business with, and Reagan's Pershing missile moment as a masterclass in peace through strength. He suggests that President Trump may soon need to have a "Pershing moment" of his own, reveals what he learned in a meeting years ago with a young Vladimir Putin, and weighs in as an economist on the Trump tax reform act. Plus George Shultz discusses why Ronald Reagan never bluffed, why foreign policy is a lot like gardening, and why the prospect of nuclear war still keeps him up at night.

George Shultz is a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution and you can read some of his articles at www.hoover.org. Today's episode was sponsored by Credit Karma and The Art of Charm podcast.