Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 035-013
Date: Wednesday, December 27, 1972 at 7:41 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/035-013

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] I've got a rather tough assignment for you, but it's quite important and see if you can work it out in the next half hour.
[0:14] I'd like to fly to Nicaragua in the morning, check with the people in terms of what kind of a check I could take down.
[0:24] You know what I mean?
[0:24] We're giving a huge amount of relief there, but I want to
[0:28] do something, also check with our helicopter crews so that I could fly into the areas that are, you know, the most difficult, you know, to show some concern about the people.
[0:40] Okay?
[0:41] Now, what time would you want to go, Mr. President?
[0:44] Oh, about 8 o'clock, 9 or 7.
[0:47] The earlier, the better.
[0:49] I'd like to fly right down early in the morning.
[0:51] I haven't said a word to anybody.
[0:56] I'm just telling you that this is something I want to lay on, and I don't want you to check with 18 people.
[1:02] I don't know who the hell you do check with, but I guess you have to check with the, don't check with the State Department, but check with maybe Kennedy at the NSC.
[1:15] He's the only one around.
[1:16] Hagan is sure gone.
[1:18] in the NSC.
[1:21] He can check with the ambassador down there who was a friend of ours, Turner Shelton.
[1:27] Tell him he'd like to come down.
[1:28] I just want to go down and spend two days.
[1:30] I want to fly into the areas, you know.
[1:34] I've got to know what kind of a check we can take down.
[1:36] You know what I mean?
[1:39] You well understand we're giving enormous amounts of money.
[1:43] I'll take down
[1:44] maybe $10 million check and hand it to them when I'm there.
[1:47] Also, whatever we can do in terms of bringing things along.
[1:51] I don't want any press.
[1:53] You know, the press can go, but they've got to go to another plane.
[1:56] We'd take a pool, of course, on ours.
[1:58] Of course, of course, of course.
[1:59] But what I meant is that we're not doing this for press purposes.
[2:02] I just want to go down to show...
[2:04] to demonstrate personally the interest of the United States in this terrible tragedy.
[2:10] You do a little checking.
[2:12] This is a damn good assignment for you now on your own.
[2:15] All right.
[2:15] You check it out.
[2:16] Check it first with Kennedy and the rest, and call me back.
[2:19] Now, don't raise it up to the... Don't ask Coleman about it.
[2:22] I want him to have a little rest in California for a change.
[2:26] All right.
[2:26] Don't check with Haldeman.
[2:27] Don't check with Ehrlichman.
[2:30] Don't check with the State Department.
[2:31] Tell Kennedy I want to go.
[2:33] I want to leave at the earliest possible moment.
[2:36] If we can leave at 7, that's better.
[2:38] But no, you can't do that because you've got to tell the jackass press here.
[2:42] So shall we say we'll leave at, say, 10 o'clock in the morning.
[2:46] That's a good time to leave.
[2:47] See what I mean?
[2:49] I'll get on it and get back as soon as I can.
[2:51] Fine.
[2:52] Fine.
[2:53] Okay, boy.
[2:54] Bye.
[2:54] Thank you.
[2:56] Bye.