Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 019-073
Date: Tuesday, January 25, 1972 at 8:55 PM
Participants: Kissinger, Henry A.; Ziegler, Ronald L.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-073

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] He said, I want you to know that I'm in tears.
[0:28] three former students of mine came back and called me.
[0:33] He said, one, he said, I was... You didn't know the guy?
[0:36] No, no, no.
[0:36] I just happened to pick up the phone.
[0:38] And he said, one of the people, he said, I was one of the people who, who over the last few months has in some degree distrusted, you know, what the administration was doing.
[0:50] He said, and I also am a person who
[0:52] When the president was elected, he felt that he could be one of the greatest presidents he had.
[1:12] And I don't confess to that.
[1:13] He said, I think that, he said, I don't give a damn about the elections.
[1:14] He said, I voted for, he said, I voted for the president.
[1:15] He said, before that, I voted for Kim.
[1:17] But he said, the president is a sincere man.
[1:18] And he said, I want you to tell him that.
[1:19] He said, everything he is doing is right.
[1:20] He said, I was one of those people who was a backbiter over the past months.
[1:25] He said, but I didn't have the information that the president had.
[1:30] That's, you think, the typical reaction?
[1:31] He said, I hope everything works out the way he wants it to.
[1:34] He said, I'm not in the habit of calling the White House.
[1:36] He said, I've called the White House on two occasions.
[1:39] He said, once was on the Cali trial, and he said, once is tonight.
[1:45] He said, I've traveled all over the world, and he said, one of the greatest things is that I can pick up the telephone and get to the White House in 30 seconds.
[1:49] You know, his voice was choked with tears.
[1:52] But this is a teacher at St. Joseph College in Indiana who was really moved by it.
[1:58] But the reaction is very different.
[2:02] Ron, I'm wondering, with the reaction this good, why I should do another briefing tomorrow.
[2:09] What do you mean?
[2:10] Oh, absolutely, you've got to.
[2:10] Well, let's talk about it in the morning.
[2:12] No, there's no question about it.
[2:15] You've got to.
[2:15] We're committed to it.
[2:16] Okay, well, I'll talk to the president.
[2:17] Yeah, well, you've got to do the briefing tomorrow.
[2:20] Okay.
[2:21] I will do it.
[2:22] Yeah, okay.