Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 001-123
Date: Saturday, April 17, 1971 at 10:45 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; White House operator; Hoover, J. Edgar; Kissinger, Henry A.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/001-123

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello?
[0:00] Hello, Edgar, how are you?
[0:02] Oh, well, what the hell, I...
[0:03] I always stick by my friends, you know that?
[0:05] Yeah.
[0:24] Well, you know, they're all badgering and so forth, but, you know, they gave me a set-up question when this fellow said, in view of the increasing attacks that Mr. Hoover is coming under, do you think he will now
[0:38] resign.
[0:39] And I said, no, it's going to have exactly the opposite effect.
[0:41] I said, he hasn't even discussed resignation with me.
[0:44] And I said, certainly when he's being under vicious and malicious attack, a man that's given 50 years of services, and he certainly has not gone to, you know, I thought that gave it a good chance.
[0:55] Because it's true.
[0:56] I mean, hell, I mean, I, none of us are going, I won't even, frankly, if they'd ever put it to me that I just say, I wouldn't even consider it if I were in his place.
[1:06] Wonderful of you, Mr. President.
[1:07] And you did magnificent on all the other questions.
[1:10] You weren't there, were you?
[1:11] No, I listened to it on the radio.
[1:13] Oh, you heard it, yeah.
[1:14] On radio, and it came over excessively.
[1:17] And you sounded more relaxed than you do on TV.
[1:19] Yeah, well, it was more editors, so I could be a little bit... A few little jabs of humor that was very good, too.
[1:26] Well, the main thing is to, as I say, let your friends support you in this and that.
[2:48] All right, well, that's fine.
[2:49] I'm just going to say Henry Kissinger just walked in, and he disagrees.
[2:54] He says I shouldn't have defended you.
[2:58] No, here he is.
[2:58] I'll let you say hello to him.
[2:59] Thank you so much.
[3:04] Hello?
[3:05] What's up, Ted?
[3:05] Mr. Hoover?
[3:07] Well, you know you have many admirers in this building.
[3:10] Well, I thought the president was magnificent last night.
[3:13] I just can't find words to express.
[3:17] Well, anyone who's done youth service to the country should not be exposed to this sort of malicious attack.
[3:24] Oh, but you've been, and I am also.
[3:26] They're just trying to bait anybody who's a member of the establishment.
[3:31] I think that the statement of the president last night and all the answers he made to some of them were loaded questions, were magnificent.
[3:39] Well, that's what I thought, and I thought it came out very, very well.
[3:45] I thought it was excellent.
[3:46] And it's awful nice to have you tell me what you just said.
[3:49] Well, it's a privilege to be able to work with you.
[3:51] Thank you so much.
[3:52] Goodbye.
[3:53] Goodbye.