Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 016-086
Date: Friday, December 10, 1971 at 5:18 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Rehnquist, William H.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-086

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Well, you must feel like Chief Justice Hughes.
[0:05] He had 26 voting against him, too.
[0:08] Is that the exact number?
[0:09] 52 to 26.
[0:10] I just got it in front of me so you can go out and say, well, like Hughes, I had 26 against him, but you had 68 for.
[0:17] Gee, you're a much better...
[0:18] There's only one thing, though.
[0:19] I've just damn near withdrew your nomination before because I was just talking to John Connolly, and he showed me an article by Joe Kraft endorsing you, and I said, I've made a mistake.
[0:29] Listen, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your giving me this opportunity.
[0:34] Well, this is a great thing to be such a young man, to go on the court.
[0:40] You'll make a great record, and you know the very fact that...
[0:44] The only thing, I'll give you one, only one last bit of advice, because you're going to be independent, actually, and that is, don't let the fact that you were under heat change any of your reviews.
[0:55] I'll remember that.
[0:55] Don't ever let, I told Warren Berger that.
[0:58] I said, now, Warren, you know, because he didn't get much heat, but I said, just don't come down here, the way I put it to him.
[1:06] And, uh,
[1:07] let the Washington social set change it.
[1:11] So just be as mean and rough as they said you were, okay?
[1:17] Thanks, Mr. President.
[1:18] All right.
[1:19] Good luck.
[1:20] Thanks a lot.
[1:21] Bye.