I just watched an interesting old video from the Hoover institute with Milton Friedman shot in 1998 (I think)
The interviewer asked him how much credit Bill Clinton should get for the projected 87 billion dollar surplus around then, and Friedman said none at all. He said the surplus was due to the cumulative effect of Reagan’s actions back in the early to mid Eighties, and the actions of the Fed (which he said even though the Fed has a history of doing much harm, and he thinks we should abolish it, was also responsible.)
So, he said Reagan was responsible.
When he elaborated, he said the Fed took action early in Reagan’s presidency, and Reagan’s popularity dropped as the economy slipped backwards due to the necessary Fed actions (after the disastrous Seventies) and Reagan didn’t step in to stop the Fed. He let the actions take his course regardless of the drop in his popularity, because it needed to be done. Friedman said that Reagan was the only President who would have done that.
I think we have another. He doesn’t give a crap what they think...I think he will do what is right.
More Friedman on Reagan. This is the one I think you were referring to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ASAOrsKqiI