Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Ronald Reagan and a conservative radio and television commentator, died Sunday, January 4, 2026. He was 80. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced his death Tuesday on the social platform X, saying no cause of death had been announced.

“Michael was called home to be with the Lord on Sunday, January 4th, surrounded by his entire family,” his wife, Colleen Reagan, and children Cameron Reagan and Ashley Reagan Dunster said in a statement. “Our hearts are deeply broken as we grieve the loss of a man who meant so much to all who knew and loved him.”

The foundation described Reagan as “a steadfast guardian of his father’s legacy,” adding that he “lived a life shaped by conviction, purpose, and an abiding devotion to President Reagan’s ideals.”

Reagan spent decades championing his father’s political legacy as a talk radio host, author, and philanthropist, while writing candidly in two memoirs about an adoption he said shaped his identity and faith.

Career

Reagan was a contributor to the conservative Newsmax television network and was known for his talk radio program, “The Michael Reagan Show,” which he hosted for nearly two decades.

He attended Arizona State University and Los Angeles Valley College before taking up acting, appearing in television programs including “Falcon Crest.”

Memoirs and Writing

Reagan wrote about his adoption and his journey of faith in two autobiographical books, “On the Outside Looking In” and “Twice Adopted.” A third book, “Lessons My Father Taught Me,” published in 2016, detailed what he said he learned growing up as the son of the 40th president. He wrote several additional books during his career.

Philanthropy

Reagan used powerboat racing as a vehicle for charitable fundraising, raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the Statue of Liberty Restoration Fund. He served on the advisory board of the Mixed Roots Foundation, which focuses on foster care and adoption in the United States and globally.

He also chaired the board of the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation for three years — the same disease that claimed his father, who died in 2004. As president and chair of the Reagan Legacy Foundation, he worked to preserve his father’s memory and promote what he described as the 40th president’s ideals of limited government and Cold War resolve.

Background

Born to Irene Flaugher in 1945, Reagan was adopted just hours after his birth by Ronald Reagan and his then-wife, actor Jane Wyman. He is survived by his wife, Colleen Reagan, and two children, Cameron Reagan and Ashley Reagan Dunster.