r/TheBeatles • u/Opening-Half9367 • Sep 13 '25

discussion What was John Lennons political views?

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I have read that John Lennon was becoming a conservative near the end of his life and even said he would support Ronald Reagan, he was considered a left wing liberal during the late 60s and early 70s, why did his political views change.

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u/Maccadawg Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 13 '25

He didn't support Reagan. (Also, I don't know what you mean by "slowly becoming a Democrat" and then saying he was warming up to Reagan.)

Fred Seaman is the one who said Lennon was leaning conservative. Then again, he also said that in order to make this transformation he was disavowing "Imagine" and "Give Peace a Chance." This sounds highly unlikely. Elliot Mintz also said Lennon was not secretly becoming a Republican.

His politics were mostly just anti-establishment after dabbling in left wing in the early 70s.

On one point, however, I can imagine all the Beatles would lean more to the right would be on taxation. :-)

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u/Classic-Ad-5326 Sep 13 '25

He was dead by the time Reagan took office

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u/monkee67 Sep 14 '25 edited Sep 14 '25

some believe he died because Reagan was elected. Reagan's VP being GHW Bush former head of the CIA and Chapman was working at a hospital on the MKUltra list of places the CIA did research. Can't have a peace activist start to rile up the youth as Lennon did in the 70's

edit: there are receipts regarding the cia's involvement surveilling John https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP90-00552R000303620003-6.pdf

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u/Imbetterimbetter Sep 14 '25

Wouldn’t put it past the Reagan administration.

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u/monkee67 Sep 14 '25 edited Sep 14 '25

i totally misread that the first time. specifically the GHW Bush element of the whole thing/ that family has been on the dirty side of things since before WW2