S5 Ep43: The President's Silence: How Thousands Died Before Reagan Said 'AIDS'

In October 1982, journalist Lester Kinsolving asked the White House press secretary about a mysterious disease that had already killed hundreds of Americans. The response? Laughter. For years, as the death toll climbed into the tens of thousands, President Ronald Reagan said nothing. His administration did less. This is the story of what happens when a government decides some lives don't matter—and the activists, doctors, and ordinary people who refused to let their community die in silence. " Crimes of the Centuries " is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at

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S5 Ep43: The President's Silence: How Thousands Died Before Reagan Said 'AIDS' is an episode from Crimes of the Centuries.

This episode is 52:15 long.

This episode was published on Jan 26, 2026.

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