Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 024-026
Date: Monday, May 8, 1972 at 10:42 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Rush, [David] Kenneth
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/024-026

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello?
[0:01] Yes, Mr. President?
[0:02] Yes, again, how are you?
[0:04] Fine, thank you, sir.
[0:05] Your speech was wonderful.
[0:06] Well, you're very kind to say that.
[0:08] Let me say, you're going on in the morning.
[0:10] Yes, sir.
[0:10] And if I could give you just a couple of thoughts.
[0:13] Thank you.
[0:16] Bill Rogers, in talking to the Cabinet, was sort of saying this is not a blockade.
[0:21] Don't take that line.
[0:23] Take the line that, well, the words are not too important here.
[0:29] What it is is that the president is going to do whatever is necessary to stop all seaborne deliveries to South Vietnam, to North Vietnam.
[0:39] Yes, sir.
[0:40] And it will be done.
[0:41] Yes, sir.
[0:42] And we'll do whatever is necessary.
[0:44] Yes.
[0:46] Don't you agree?
[0:47] I agree 100%, Mr. President, and that is exactly what I think you should do.
[0:52] Don't worry.
[0:53] Now that we've crossed the Rubicon, we're going to kick those bastards, and we're going to do even more, you know.
[0:58] Yes, I know.
[0:59] So take a very strong line.
[1:01] We're going to do what's necessary.
[1:02] The President is, you can say, you can use the term, the President has crossed the Rubicon, and now?
[1:07] But also emphasize that we have made a forthcoming peace offer.
[1:12] Yes, sir.
[1:13] Which is unequivocal, and it's as far as we can go.
[1:18] A ceasefire, a return of our POWs, and then we withdraw all Americans for a month.
[1:26] Yes.
[1:27] Okay?
[1:28] Yes, sir.
[1:29] I think I have that, Mr. President.
[1:31] I'll do my best.
[1:32] I'm in complete accord, as you know, with what you're doing.
[1:35] Well, I appreciate it.
[1:36] I appreciate it.
[1:36] It really was a great speech.
[1:38] I know it was great, but anyway, the main thing is that
[1:41] You know, you're the strong man over there now, by God.
[1:44] I got Carl Laird, and I got him lined up.
[1:46] He's all right now.
[1:47] Well, I'm very pleased.
[1:48] He says he's going to...
[1:49] I said, Mel, you've got to be more hawkish than I am, and he said he would be.
[1:53] Mel will do it now.
[1:54] Yeah, Mel's a...
[1:55] He's the kind of a guy that waits, and then he does what's right.
[1:58] Once you tell him what to do, Mr. President, he will do it.
[2:00] When you talk to him in the morning, you say, boy, the President's counting on you.
[2:03] He's very pleased with his conversation with you, and Mel, by God, let's be more...
[2:09] Right now, we've got to be ferocious.
[2:12] Right.
[2:12] All the way.
[2:13] Okay?
[2:14] Yes, sir, Mr. President.
[2:15] All right.
[2:15] In the morning, kick them in the ass.
[2:16] I'll do my best.
[2:17] Oh, you will.
[2:18] Are you coming tomorrow night or not?
[2:20] Yes, I'm looking forward to it very much.
[2:22] It'll be a nice little party.
[2:23] We're inviting all the lawyers in the administration.
[2:26] to sort of be there with these little kids.
[2:31] I remember the little kids, but you will remember most of them.
[2:33] They were your students.
[2:34] Yes, I remember that very well.
[2:36] I'll call on you for a couple of minutes to say a couple of words.
[2:42] Will you?
[2:43] I'll be very pleased to.
[2:45] And I'm very happy you invited me.
[2:47] Okay, Mike.
[2:48] It'll be great to be there.
[2:48] So congratulations.
[2:53] George Meany, please.
[2:55] Yes, sir.