Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 017-037
Date: Friday, December 24, 1971 at 5:33 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Mitchell, John N.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-037
National Archives Catalog: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/417191837 (NAID 417191837)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello.
[0:14] I have the Attorney General there, Mr. President.
[0:16] Hello.
[0:16] The President, sir.
[0:16] Hello.
[0:17] Yes, Mr. President.
[0:17] Are you in California?
[0:17] No, I'm in Phoenix, Arizona.
[0:18] I just made the kickoff luncheon for the bull game.
[0:19] That's the stuff.
[0:19] Well, just called to wish you and Martha a Merry Christmas.
[0:21] Well, I appreciate it.
[0:21] Yeah, fine.
[0:21] And, uh, yeah.
[0:22] We're all going to be together in the White House.
[0:31] I thought the Hoffa thing went well.
[0:39] He looked, I think he created some sympathy for himself.
[0:48] What do you think?
[0:49] I didn't see it, but from... Yeah, well, you know, as he said, you know, I'll tell you, being in prison isn't all that, what it's cracked up to be.
[0:53] You have some lonely days.
[0:58] And you start to think, too, let's face it,
[1:01] No useful purpose would be served by keeping him there any longer, John.
[1:23] And his wife's sick and everything.
[1:23] Yes, the political aspects of it were certainly laid down.
[1:26] On our other subject, I think we are better advised, I mean, we really just got to
[1:29] keep the lid on anything.
[1:31] Henry, of course, got all the storages.
[1:33] We've got to get rid of more right away.
[1:36] And that's just the most ridiculous thing I can think of.
[1:38] You know what I mean?
[1:40] This is just a system and this and that.
[1:41] And I think the main thing is to
[1:42] keep it under as close control as we can.
[2:08] But we cannot move to do anything to discredit the uniform.
[2:09] That's what I'm convinced of.
[2:10] I see.
[2:10] I see.
[2:12] Ah, I see.
[2:34] Isn't that interesting?
[2:34] Yeah.
[2:34] I know.
[2:35] Well, but I think you've got to keep Henry and everybody else, keep them, take the...
[2:37] off his track of doing it.
[2:39] I think on the yeoman, don't know whether John told you, I think the best course with him is to keep him here, I mean, you know, in the Pentagon, and under surveillance, and let him know he's under surveillance, and that's that.
[2:58] Because you see, if you have him running after some base someplace, he's likely to be rude about it and write a book.
[3:02] And if he's here, he knows that we can watch him.
[3:05] And that also...
[3:07] You know what I mean?
[3:24] It doesn't give him anything to grub about.
[3:29] That's my feeling, at least.
[3:29] Yeah, that's right.
[3:30] Yeah, they were there.
[3:30] I talked to, well, Henry, not to Hague.
[3:32] Yeah, Hague briefly on the phone, but Henry was in today.
[3:35] What?
[3:36] Did I what?
[3:36] Yeah, I would have the session, but I think it's important not to let Henry sort of blame all this for troubles and so forth.
[4:00] I think it's important for Henry to sort of cool off and
[4:03] recognize that our best interests are served by not, you know, raising holy hell.
[4:18] I think in terms of security, yes, it makes sense, but I don't want Henry to sort of get to the point where he thinks that everything and everything comes out.
[4:26] He gets paranoid sometimes.
[4:27] That's right.
[4:30] I mean, in other words, the State Department's against him, the Joint Chiefs are against him.
[4:35] You know, he's thinking of it, John, solely in personal terms.
[4:39] And that's irrelevant.
[4:40] But the personal stuff is irrelevant.
[4:40] It isn't what this is all about.
[4:47] This is something that goes far beyond that.
[4:53] Well, I think you should.
[4:53] Unbelievable.
[4:53] Unbelievable.
[4:54] Except then, as I said, he went to the other extreme and told Ehrlichman yesterday or last night or something that now he said, we ought to fire more right away.
[5:11] Well, now that's just ridiculous.
[5:12] That shows you he's emotionally unbalanced.
[5:13] That's right.
[5:14] Fire somebody.
[5:14] His idea being that, well, by showing discipline there, that would scare Rogers.
[5:16] Well, not for Christ's sakes.
[5:18] Rogers doesn't, you know.
[5:20] Isn't that silly?
[5:21] He doesn't know his address very well.
[5:27] Well, anyway, give my best to Phoenix and the gang.
[5:37] I will.
[5:37] Your telegram is going to be read on television tomorrow in connection with the truck program.
[5:40] It ought to be a big one.
[5:40] Great.
[5:41] Great.
[5:41] And Carol Goff.
[5:41] Right there.
[5:41] Hold them on to me.
[5:42] Okay.
[5:42] Bye.