--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Ronald Reagan's administration was…" description: "\"When Ronald Reagan's administration was exposed for having illegally sold arms to Iran to raise money covertly for the Contra rebels fighting the Nicar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/heather-cox-richardson-6324_fighting_when-ronald-reagan-s-administration-was_2626637.jpg" --- # When Ronald Reagan's administration was exposed for having… ![“When Ronald Reagan's administration was exposed for having illegally sold arms to Iran to raise money covertly for the Contra rebels fighting the Nicaraguan government, Reagan acknowledged that the evidence was damning - yet defended the principle behind the scheme.” quote by Heather Cox Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/heather-cox-richardson-6324_fighting_when-ronald-reagan-s-administration-was_2626637.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/heather-cox-richardson-6324_fighting_when-ronald-reagan-s-administration-was_2626637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/heather-cox-richardson-6324_fighting_when-ronald-reagan-s-administration-was_2626637.jpg) > “When Ronald Reagan's administration was exposed for having illegally sold arms to Iran to raise money covertly for the Contra rebels fighting the Nicaraguan government, Reagan acknowledged that the evidence was damning - yet defended the principle behind the scheme.” [Heather Cox Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-cox-richardson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reagan defended the principle of covert funding despite damning evidence, showing how ideology can outweigh factual criticism. **In simple terms:** He defended the idea even when evidence was bad. Key Takeaway Question principles over facts. Themes politics ethics ideology Mood analytical critical Type political historical When to use this quote - government decision making - foreign policy - public accountability Key Concepts realpolitik policy justification Questions to Reflect On - When have you defended a belief despite contrary evidence? - What balances principle and pragmatism? A Different Perspective Defending a principle can ignore harmful consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Iran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iran/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [ I remember the first few months of the \[Ronald\] Reagan administration when all sorts of things happened too fast. We cannot allow that to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-remember-the-first-few-months-of-the-ronald-reagan-administration/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [We're a country that abhors the government. 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