Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 023-164
Date: Friday, May 5, 1972 at 8:55 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Brennan, Peter J.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-164

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:02] Peter Brennan, sir.
[0:03] Yeah.
[0:05] Hello.
[0:06] Good morning, Mr. President.
[0:07] Hi, how are you?
[0:08] Fine, thank you.
[0:09] You, sir?
[0:10] Well, you got a good day up there.
[0:11] I hope they tell me the weather's been a little spotty, like here in Washington.
[0:14] Well, it's a little cloudy, but it's going to clear up.
[0:17] Great, great.
[0:18] About what I was calling you about, I was talking to Chuck Colson, and I haven't been able to keep in touch with him myself, but as you know, he has been, and John Mitchell and others have been talking to
[0:32] your man, Mr. Rogers.
[0:34] Right.
[0:34] And we are extremely anxious to, if we could get him aboard, to have him, if it's no embarrassment to you, or if you can spare him.
[0:44] I just want you to know that he has my personal approval, but as you know, it's your decision, but I just want you to know that.
[0:51] Yes.
[0:51] Well, we're working it out.
[0:53] I think something can be done.
[0:55] That's really great.
[0:55] Good man.
[0:56] Good man.
[0:58] I had a very good talk yesterday with a fellow, said he's a good friend of yours, with the Vice President Teamsters up there in New York.
[1:08] Joe Trotola?
[1:09] They call him Joe T. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[1:13] He is quite a fellow.
[1:14] He's a good man.
[1:16] Fitz was down for the pay board, and he brought him in and a couple others, and I talked to him.
[1:22] Boy, I'll tell you, he's a strong man.
[1:24] He was talking about an interesting thing he apparently had.
[1:27] been to St. Patrick's on the day that some of the nuns had been demonstrating and then rolled something down the aisle.
[1:34] Boy, he was really, really stirred up.
[1:37] He says if his wife hadn't have been there, he'd have gone out there and made them get out.
[1:41] I think it's a little ridiculous, but I think you're holding it well.
[1:45] If everything just starts to move better in Oman, Vietnam, I think it should be good.
[1:52] Well, we may have to take some stronger action here in the near future, and if we do, I hope you support it.
[1:57] The main purpose being just we've got to get our POWs out and turn the thing around.
[2:02] Because what is happening, I can tell you, is that there's a...
[2:07] The South Vietnamese are fighting under all circumstances bravely as men.
[2:12] The Soviet Union has given the North Vietnamese huge tanks, big guns.
[2:18] Mallard was reporting the other day 11 new weapon systems that we've never seen before.
[2:23] Well, that sort of thing is pretty rough, you know, when they're coming in.
[2:27] And so, but they're holding on.
[2:29] And our Air Force and Davy are just doing a wonderful job.
[2:33] That's all we've got in there, you know, but without that, the South Vietnamese would be gone.
[2:37] Well, I think you're doing the right thing, and I just wish the newspapers would start to realize what this means to the country instead of downgrading everything.
[2:46] Well, I think we've got to live with that.
[2:49] That, unfortunately, is the life right now.
[2:51] Well, main thing, I always say to them, whenever they get discouraged, well, we've got the best guys on our side.
[2:59] Right.
[2:59] Good to talk to you.
[3:01] Good to speak to you, Mr. President.