Former Reagan administration White House chief of staff James Baker might be the "un-Trump," but has said he will not break from the Republican Party on Election Day, the author of a new book about the legendary Washington insider told Newsmax TV.
In an interview on "John Bachman Now," Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times – whose new book, along with New Yorker writer and wife Susan Glasser, is titled "The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III" — said the Reagan administration insider made his conflicted feelings known in a recent interview.
"We talked about this with him a long time," Peter Baker said. "Trump is not his kind of guy. Baker is the un-Trump. . . . He's about bridging conflict."
But "he's a loyal Republican," Peter Baker added, saying at one point in the interview, Baker said he might vote for Joe Biden, "but then says, 'no, I'm gonna stick with my party even though I feel like my party has kind of gotten away from me.'"
The Times journalist also related the tough time James Baker had when he began his job as chief of staff — a time when many doubted his loyalty and intentions.
"He was seen as a [George H.W.] Bush guy coming in," Baker said, asserting the famous phrase at the time of "let Reagan be Reagan" was aimed at Baker.
"A lot of people felt he was holding [Reagan] back," he said.
"What Jim Baker told us is that he was doing everything Reagan wanted him to do . . . Reagan had a pragmatic streak . . . Baker was the guy who could get [Reagan] 80% and could get the other 20% later."
"Baker was operating at the behest of the president he was working for," Peter Baker asserted.
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