Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 018-012
Date: Monday, January 3, 1972 at 12:32 PM
Participants: White House operator; Butterfield, Alexander P.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Cox, Tricia Nixon
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/018-012

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Mr. Butterfield?
[0:03] Is Patricia on for the president?
[0:08] All right, he'll be on in just a moment.
[0:12] Can she hold a second?
[0:27] She's holding.
[0:27] All right, good.
[0:28] Alex?
[0:28] No.
[0:32] Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Dr. Kissinger, and the CIA.
[1:06] Hello?
[3:56] We've had good reactions on the show last night.
[3:58] You must have.
[3:58] You really must have.
[3:59] Who did you hear from?
[4:00] Oh, the usual types.
[4:02] I mean, actually, the Rogers.
[4:04] Did you hear from Kissinger?
[4:05] Yeah.
[4:06] Oh, of course, Rogers and Kissinger and Elliot Richards and so forth.
[4:11] They all thought he was a bastard.
[4:14] But they thought that helped.
[4:16] I said, well, basically, the Smith program was so much better because the questions were so much better.
[4:20] They said, no, but it wasn't as good from our standpoint because it's better when you have a bastard doing it.
[4:25] Well, you know, in a way,
[4:26] it's really true.
[4:26] I thought, first of all, Eddie just couldn't believe it.
[4:30] He said that
[4:32] that the questions were all antagonistic and that he was rude.
[4:36] He interrupted you.
[4:37] And he did at about five different points, right in the middle of what you were saying.
[4:40] He kept interrupting and saying, but, but, but.
[4:42] What you just don't do.
[4:43] I mean, you can ask an antagonistic question, but then you have to wait.
[4:46] He was trying to.
[4:47] The worst question that most blatant was where he said, well, didn't you plan to end the war and postpone the war and postpone going to Moscow and postpone going to the election here?
[4:58] I was awfully glad you brought out
[4:59] thing about the bombing too in 68 right that was that was that was that was a good thing but my god doesn't he realize that you've been working for two in two and a half years on these things that's what i think you do you change a policy overnight that's what i told him that's right that's what you told him and then i also like the thing um you said about the future generations you know that you had to plan for them and um and also that i also like the thing you said that um
[5:27] piece is too important to postpone i think those are your exact words yeah that might be that quote might you know be my last yeah that was that was a very memorable quote and of course your answer on the blacks was great too the black thing i don't know where he ever does when he says i never heard when i said that the black person i don't think you ever said that anyway no i i only would have said it in the context of something else well exactly this is another thing eddie brought up because you know he's using his lord's money he said you just don't
[5:58] context because otherwise it just sounded very very dubious the whole thing he was an absolute bastard though i couldn't believe it i have never heard anyone worse
[6:09] I didn't realize what he meant, but that Ms. thing at the end, because I hadn't read that book or the story, but I slid off of it all right.
[6:21] That was one of the things I marked out as being a good answer and especially outstanding answer.
[6:29] I just said, well, that's endearing, but that was fun.
[6:37] to have a freedom of choice.
[6:39] Yeah, that's right.
[6:39] That was how you concluded the answer, which was a lousy way to end the program on his part.
[6:45] You know, it was a stupid question to ask at the end, but I thought that that was a very good answer under difficult circumstances.
[6:51] Well, anyway...