[84] In 1945, Reagan planned to lead an HICCASP anti-nuclear rally, but Warner Bros. prevented him from going.[85] Reagan also supported Harry S. Truman in the 1948 presidential election[86] and Helen Gahagan Douglas for the United States Senate in 1950. It was Reagan's belief that communism was a powerful backstage influence in Hollywood that led him to rally his friends against them.[83]
Reagan began shifting to the right when he supported the presidential campaigns of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and Richard Nixon in 1960.[87] When Reagan was contracted by General Electric (GE), he began giving speeches to their employees.[88] His speeches had a positive take on businesses, but a negative take on government.[89] Under anti-communist[90] Lemuel Boulware, the employees were encouraged to vote for business-friendly officials.[91] In 1961, Reagan adapted his speeches into another speech to criticize Medicare.[92] In his view, its legislation would have meant "the end of individual freedom in the United States".[93] In 1962, Reagan was dropped by GE,[94] and he formally registered as a Republican.[87] He said, "I didn't leave the Democratic Party. The party left me.