Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 002-045
Date: Monday, April 26, 1971 at 8:11 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Buckley, James L.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/002-045

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello?
[0:02] Senator Buckley, sir.
[0:04] There you are.
[0:04] Hello?
[0:05] Mr. President?
[0:06] I don't want to bother you at your dinner, but I just wanted to say that I thought you made exactly the right ruling when you were presiding over the Senate today.
[0:14] Well, thank you very much.
[0:15] I think you had to do it.
[0:17] I mean, these people were apparently really out of control, huh?
[0:21] They were out to make a spectacle, and I don't know what you can do except draw the line.
[0:25] Right.
[0:26] And did they finally clear the galleries?
[0:31] What happened?
[0:31] They cleared two of the galleries and then readmitted the people who were the troublemakers.
[0:37] That's all right.
[0:38] So I think the point was made.
[0:40] Then there was another group, which I had witnessed this, who started sort of a whimpering whining, not the yelling amenities.
[0:50] Yeah.
[0:51] And there came a point where you had to draw the line on that one.
[0:54] Sure.
[0:55] And then they went out and, of course, made their noises, crying and wailing.
[0:59] Yeah.
[1:00] But then that was it.
[1:01] Good.
[1:02] Good.
[1:02] Well...
[1:04] Just stay firm on it.
[1:07] We'll try to avoid a confrontation, but on the other hand, you can't allow them to disrupt the business of the Senate.
[1:12] No, and a lot of them parking in the halls outside of my office and other people, and I don't know why you would draw the line there.
[1:18] Yeah.
[1:20] But it's an experience.
[1:21] Yeah, well, you know, it's never dull, you know.
[1:25] Once you run for the Senate from New York, you really catch a lot of hell, don't you?
[1:28] More than I could realize.
[1:30] Okay, fine.
[1:31] Well, have a good time tonight.
[1:32] Thank you very much.
[1:34] Bye.